ALEXANDER.  CORKEY 


IT  IS   A   DREAM   THAT   WILL    LAST    FOR   LIFE.' 


THE  VISION  OF  JOY 


or 


When   "Billy'*  Sunday  Came  to   Town 
Jl  sequel  to  <<6Uhe  Victory  of  Julian  l&tledge" 

By 

ALEXANDER  CORKEY 


Illustrated  by 
RAYMOND  L.  THAYER 


NEW  YORK 

THE  H.  K.  FLY  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,    1913,    BT 
THE  H.  K.  FLY   COMPANY 


DEDICATED 

TO 
MR.  H.  K.  FLY,  PUBLISHER 

AS  A 

TOKEN  OF  FRIENDSHIP 
AND  ESTEEM. 


213S7S5 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     The  Immigrant   9 

II.     Allan  Rutledge  in  Bronson 25 

III.  Reginald  Nelson  Gets  a  Job 39 

IV.  In  the  Central  Church 52 

V.     Getting  Acquainted 65 

VI.     Joy  Graham 79 

VII.     Planning  an  Awakening 92 

VIII.     A  Sleigh-Ride  Party 106 

IX.     In  the  Courier  Office 122 

X.     Before  the  Battle 137 

XL     Regenerating  a  City 151 

XII.     Man  to  Man 165 

XIII.  Joy  Graham  Makes  a  Discovery 178 

XIV.  A  Mother's  Broken  Heart 191 

XV.     A  Midnight  Tour 205 

XVI.     The  Gang 219 

XV'II.     The  New  Editor 233 

XVIII.     Independence  Day 247 

XIX.     Swift  Punishment 260 

XX.     Joy  Graham's  Visit 274 

XXI.     The  Bronson  Tribune 287 

XXII.     Allan  Rutledge's  Secret 300 

XXIII.     Reginald's  Return 307 


FOREWORD.  j 

> 

In  my  former  book — "The  Victory  of  Allan  Rut- 
ledge — I  attempted  an  answer  to  "The  Calling  of  Dan 
Matthews."  The  latter  book  made  an  open  attack  on 
the  most  cherished  institution  in  America,  and  sought 
to  drag  through  the  mire  of  scorn  the  noblest  profes- 
sion in  modern  life.  The  reception  which  was  accorded 
to  my  book  in  all  parts  of  the  country  has  clearly 
proved  that  the  American  people  will  not  allow  any 
writer,  no  matter  how  brilliant,  to  mock  unchallenged 
the  church  of  our  fathers  and  sneer  at  Christian 
ministers  unrebuked.  The  success  of  "The  Victory  of 
Allan  Rutledge,"  has  induced  me  to  write  "The  Vision 
of  Joy,"  which  is  a  sequel  to  my  former  book  and  com- 
pletes the  answer  to  "The  Calling  of  Dan  Matthews." 

The  scene  of  the  new  story  is  laid  in  southern  Michi- 
gan, where  I  lived  for  a  number  of  years,  and  where 
I  gathered  much  of  my  material.  The  ministry  of 
"Allan  Rutledge"  is  continued  in  this  book  under  new 
conditions,  and  the  efficiency  of  the  church  in  the  large 


cities,  when  the  church  is  alive  and  militant,  is  por- 
trayed in  scenes  drawn  from  actual  life. 

The  reader  will  see  that  I  have  shut  my  eyes  to  none 
of  the  appalling  evils  of  our  day  in  political  or  ecclesi- 
astical life.  I  expose  these  with  a  cruelty  which  only 
fidelity  to  the  truth  can  justify,  but  I  make  no  apology 
for  the  optimism  which  breathes  through  "The  Vision 
of  Joy."  The  times  are  vibrant  with  life  and  love  and 
joy  if  only  men  have  eyes  to  see,  and  ears  to  hear,  and 
hearts  to  understand. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


The  Vision  of  Joy 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  IMMIGRANT 

The  magnificent  ocean  liner,  S.S.  Neptune,  raised  its 
anchor  slowly  in  Queenstown  harbor.  The  decks  were 
crowded  with  eager  passengers,  all  anxious  to  get 
started  on  the  voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  The  rails 
of  the  ship  were  lined  with  double  rows  of  faces  that 
peered  intensely  at  the  tug.  boat  which  had  brought  a 
load  of  passengers  from  the  Queenstown  dock,  and 
which  was  now  steaming  back  to  port.  The  Neptune 
had  sailed  from  Liverpool,  but  it  called  at  the  Irish  har- 
bor for  the  European  passengers  who  preferred  to  em- 
bark at  that  point  as  well  as  the  travellers  from  Ireland. 
After  leaving  this  port  the  ships  sail  across  the  broad 
Atlantic  without  a  further  stop,  and  the  start  from 
Queenstown  is  always  exciting,  especially  to  those  leav- 
ing Europe  for  the  first  time,  as  it  is  their  last  sight  of 
the  Old  World. 

High  up  on  the  wide  upper  deck  the  Neptune's  first- 
class  passengers  had  the  point  of  vantage,  and  from 
their  elevated  place  could  obtain  a  good  view  of  the 
capacious  harbor  and  the  green  fields  of  Ireland.  The 


io  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

steerage  passengers  were  crowded  on  the  forward  part 
of  the  lower  decks,  a  motley  assembly,  from  almost 
every  part  of  Europe,  mingling  together  on  shipboard, 
but  each  country  clearly  distinguished  by  dress,  man- 
ners and  language. 

The  anchor  was  raised  and  the  liner  steamed 
majestically  out  to  sea,  its  four  funnels  pouring  out 
clouds  of  smoke,  and  leaving  in  its  wake  a  whirling 
path  of  foaming  waters,  which  the  giant  screws  of  the 
propellers  had  churned  to  madness. 

In  a  few  hours  the  last  vestige  of  shore  line  had 
disappeared,  and  the  great  ship  was  swiftly  plowing 
the  billowy  ocean. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  so  many  immigrants  from  North- 
ern Europe  on  board  this  ship.  They  are  Europe's 
life-blood  and  we  are  draining  the  Old  World  dry." 

Two  young  men  were  standing  on  the  upper  deck  of 
the  westward-bound  Atlantic  liner,  S.S.  Neptune,  on 
its  first  day  out  from  Queenstown.  They  were  gazing 
down  on  the  crowded  steerage  as  one  of  them  ex- 
pressed himself  in  those  words.  The  speaker  was 
evidently  a  young  American,  returning  from  a  Euro- 
pean trip.  His  companion  was  a  fellow-voyager  in 
the  first  cabin,  who  had  stopped  for  a  moment  at  his 
side  as  he  paced  the  deck  of  the  vessel. 

"I  am  an  immigrant  myself,  sir,"  was  the  quiet 
response.  "I  was  just  thinking  now  of  what  may 
possibly  await  all  of  us  immigrants  on  the  shores  of 
your  land  of  promise." 

The  American  turned  to  face  the  stranger,  whom 
he  had  addressed  freely  in  the  belief  that  he  was  a 


THE  IMMIGRANT  n 

companion  American,  for  few  immigrants  travel  by 
cabin  passage  when  making  their  first  trip  across  the 
Atlantic.  At  the  same  time  the  immigrant  also  faced 
around  and  the  two  men  looked  each  other  squarely 
in  the  eyes. 

It  was  not  an  unpromising  young  manhood  that  met 
the  gaze  of  Albert  Townley,  which  was  the  Ameri- 
can's name.  A  little  taller  than  the  medium  height, 
square-shouldered,  clear-eyed,  with  a  thoughtful  brow 
and  a  firm  mouth,  this  young  traveller  had  an  air  of 
authority  and  mastery  which  Albert  Townley's  quick 
eye  at  once  recognized.  It  was  plain  that  if  he  was 
an  immigrant  he  was  not  an  ordinary  immigrant. 

"I  can  tell  you  what  awaits  you  in  America,  sir,"  he 
said,  after  a  brief  pause.  "You  will  find  life  there  and 
all  that  life  means." 

"What  does  life  mean  in  your  country?"  enquired 
the  immigrant,  as  they  began  to  stroll  together  down 
the  long  upper  deck. 

"Life  with  us,  sir,"  answered  the  American  with 
enthusiasm,  "means  action,  energy,  struggle  and  vic- 
tory." 

"Does  it  never  mean  defeat?"  asked  the  other 
thoughtfully,  speaking  with  a  note  of  pathos  in  his 
voice. 

The  enthusiastic  son  of  the  New  World  answered 
quickly  and  emphatically.  "Never.  Defeat  is  death, 
not  life,  with  us." 

"It  is  life  I  want,"  responded  the  other,  gazing  out 
over  the  sea  which  surrounded  the  fast-moving 
liner  with  its  mystery  on  every  side. 


12  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"I  am  crossing  the  ocean  to  find  life.  I  am  not  after 
bread  as  the  others,"  and  he  waved  his  hand  toward 
the  steerage. 

Just  as  the  immigrant  said  this  a  fierce  yell  arose 
from  the  steerage  deck  below  and  Albert  Townley 
exclaimed,  "There's  something  going  on  down  there. 
Let  us  go  down." 

Hurrying  to  a  stairway  which  led  to  the  steerage 
quarters,  the  two  cabin  passengers  descended  and 
found  the  steerage  deck  a  scene  of  strife  and  confusion. 
A  number  of  Irish  immigrants  had  seized  and  were 
holding  against  the  vigorous  attacks  of  a  crowd  of 
Germans  a  desirable  part  of  the  steerage  deck.  Greatly 
outnumbered,  the  Irishmen  were  struggling  like  demons 
and  yelling  like ,  Mohawk  Indians,  while  their  oppo- 
nents were  doggedly  seeking  to  regain  the  coveted  posi- 
tion for,  as  one  of  the  by-standers  explained  to  Town- 
ley,  the  Germans  had  been  first  in  possession,  but  the 
Irish,  anxious  for  a  little  excitement,  had  suddenly 
charged  them  with  a  rush.  Before  the  astonished  Teu- 
tons knew  exactly  what  was  happening,  they  had  been 
driven  off  by  furious  Irish  like  chaff  before  the  wind, 
but  they  soon  rallied  their  forces  and  returned  to  the 
attack.  The  contest  was  a  good-natured  melee  at  first, 
both  sides  laughing  hilariously,  but  as  it  continued 
Townley  and  his  companion  could  see  that  the  com- 
batants were  getting  more  earnest  as  the  persistent 
Germans  were  determined  to  win  back  their  place  of 
vantage  and  they  were  pressing  hard  the  little  com- 
pany of  Erin's  men. 

Just  then  an  officer  of  the  ship,    attracted    by   the 


THE  IMMIGRANT  13 

noise,  appeared  on  the  deck.  Rushing  into  the  midst 
of  the  struggling  mass  of  humanity,  he  began  to  deal 
blows  right  and  left,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

"Stop  it,  you  dogs,  stop  it,  stop  it." 

His  efforts  to  restore  peace  between  the  warring 
factions  ended  disastrously  for  him. 

"Take  that,  ye  impudent  spalpeen.  I'm  no  dog,"  said 
an  athletic  young  Irishman,  as  he  dealt  the  ship's 
officer  a  stunning  blow  on  the  ear,  which  sent  him 
staggering  to  the  rail  of  the  liner. 

Furiously  enraged  by  the  blow,  the  officer  shouted  to 
three  sailors  who  were  standing  nearby  holding  a 
hose.  "Turn  the  water  on  them."  The  sailors  with 
evident  glee  turned  the  big  nozzle  of  the  deck  hose  on 
the  crowd  and  began  drenching  them  with  salt  water. 

The  unfortunate  combatants  who  up  to  this  time 
had  been  acting  in  a  spirit  of  hilarity  were  taken  aback 
by  this  unexpected  assault  of  brine. 

"Shut  it  off,  shut  it  off,"  they  cried  in  chorus.  "It's 
all  in  fun." 

But  the  sailors,  urged  on  by  the  irate  officer,  con- 
tinued to  soak  the  drenched  men  and  even  sent  the 
water  pouring  over  the  women  and  children  on  the 
outskirts. 

"What  a  shame  to  wet  the  poor  devils  like  that!" 
said  Townley,  indignantly.  The  words  awoke  his  com- 
panion to  instant  action.  With  one  bound  the  first- 
cabin  immigrant  was  beside  the  sailors  and  before  they 
could  guess  his  purpose,  he  hacr  snatched  the  hose  from 
their  hands  and  turned  it  full  on  their  own  faces, 
sending  the  three  sailors  sprawling  on  the  deck.  Then, 


i4  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

throwing  the  spurting  hose  over  the  deck  rail,  where 
it  splashed  harmlessly  into  the  ocean,  he  rejoined 
Townley.  In  an  instant  two  or  three  Irishmen  rushed 
forward  and  gashed  the  hose  with  their  pocket  knives, 
rendering  it  useless.  The  discomfited  sailors  struggled 
to  their  feet  and  turned  off  the  water. 

"Who  are  you,  sir?  What  do  you  mean?"  roared 
the  officer,  advancing  towards  the  cabin  immigrant. 

Without  answering  the  two  young  men  ascended  the 
stairs,  Townley  leading  the  way,  while  the  officer  stared 
in  helpless  rage.  He  was  about  to  follow  them  to  the 
cabin  deck,  but  the  jeers  of  the  now  infuriated  crowd 
caused  him  to  retreat  hastily  to  a  hatchway  down  which 
he  disappeared,  followed  by  the  dripping  sailors.  The 
steerage  passengers  were  left  in  undisputed  possession 
of  their  drenched  deck,  but  as  they  shivered  in  their 
brine-soaked  clothes  they  hurled  curses  at  the  insolent 
officer  who  had  turned  their  merriment  into  dismay. 

"A  sight  like  that  maddens  me,"  exclaimed  the  im- 
migrant, when  they  had  reached  the  spacious  first- 
cabin  deck.  "That  is  what  has  made  me  disgusted  with 
England  and  is  driving  me  across  the  sea." 

The  young  man  spoke  with  intense  emotion. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Townley. 

"That  vulgar  insolence  of  authority  which  that 
officer  showed  toward  those  poor  steerage  wretches. 
I  have  seen  so  much  of  it  that  I  can't  stand  it  any 
longer." 

"But  the  men  were  to  blame  in  part,"  interposed 
the  American. 

"Yes,  I  admit  it,  but  there  was  no   excuse   for  the 


THE  IMMIGRANT  15 

officer's  insolence  toward  them  just  because  they  are 
travelling  by  steerage.  If  they  had  been  cabin  passen- 
gers he  would  not  have  dared  to  call  them  'dogs.'  ' 

"If  it  had  been  a  crowd  of  American  working  men 
he  would  not  have  been  so  insolent,"  agreed  Townley. 
"They  would  have  mobbed  him." 

"It  is  the  lawless  insolence  of  such  vulgar  upper- 
lings  that  provokes  the  lawlessness  of  the  mob  which 
we  hear  so  much  condemned  nowadays,"  the  immigrant 
continued,  his  cheeks  flushing  and  his  eyes  shining.  "I 
am  hoping  to  find  society  in  your  New  World  more 
tolerable  than  in  England  in  the  case  of  a  man  who 
believes  in  liberty,  equality  and  fraternity." 

Albert  Townley  looked  with  interest  at  his  com- 
panion as  he  answered,  speaking  slowly.  "I  am  afraid, 
sir,  you  will  not  find  society  perfect  even  in  America. 
If  social  injustice  grieves  you  our  institutions  will  not 
commend  themselves  entirely  to  you.  In  America  our 
theories  about  these  things  are  much  better  than  our 
practices." 

"Do  not  your  theories  of  equal  rights  to  all  and 
special  favors  to  none  find  realization  in  your  new 
and  prosperous  land  of  freedom?"  asked  the  immi- 
grant, .earnestly. 

"Partly  only,  as  I  see  things,  although  many  Ameri- 
cans are  altogether  satisfied  with  things  as  they  now 
are.  However,  we  are  beginning  to  make  such  ideas 
more  practical  in  our  country,"  continued  Townley 
with  more  enthusiasm.  "Social  justice  is  becoming 
the  watchword  of  the  younger  generation  of  Ameri- 
cans and  I  welcome  you,  sir,  as  a  soldier  of  the  com- 


1 6  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

mon  good,  for  I  judge  that  you  will  be  of  help  in  the 
great  cause  of  social  betterment  in  the  New  World. 
Pardon  me,  did  you  tell  me  your  name?  My  name  is 
Townley,  Albert  Townely,  of  Bronson,  Michigan."  As 
he  said  these  words  the  American  reached  out  his  hand 
cordially.  The  immigrant  grasped  the  outstretched 
hand  and,  shaking  it  warmly,  replied,  "I  am  Reginald 
Nelson,  an  immigrant  from  England.  Did  you  say 
your  home  is  in  Bronson,  Michigan?" 

"Yes,  I  am  just  returning  from  a  three  months'  vaca- 
tion in  Europe  and  I  tell  you  I  will  be  glad  to  see  old 
Michigan  again.  I  enjoyed  my  travels  in  Europe,  but 
it  is  clearer  to  me  than  ever  that  America  is  the  land 
of  destiny." 

"Bronson,"  said  his  companion,  whom  we  shall  now 
call  Reginald  Nelson.  "I  have  heard  of  Bronson  be- 
fore. Ah,  yes,  now  I  remember.  I  have  a  letter  of 
introduction  to  a  law  firm  in  your  town." 

Taking  out  a  large,  expensive-looking  pocket-book, 
Reginald  Nelson  took  out  some  papers. 

"I  have  here,"  he  said,  letters  of  introduction  to 
prominent  law  firms  in  New  York,  Chicago  and  some 
other  cities,  and  I  am  sure  I  have  one  addressed  to  a 
firm  in  Bronson.  I  never  expected  to  use  it.  Yes,  here 
it  is.  Do  you  know  that  law  firm  in  your  city?" 

He  handed  Townley  a  brief  letter  of  introduction 
from  a  London  law  firm  addressed  to  "Messrs.  Mill- 
man  and  Graham,  Attorneys-at-law,  Bronson,  Michi- 
gan." 

"I  certainly  do,"  responded  Townley,  when  he  had 
read  the  inscription.  "That  is  our  largest  law  firm. 


THE  IMMIGRANT  17 

Are  you  going  into  the  profession  of  law  in  America?" 

"No,  I  hardly  think  so,"  answered  Reginald  Nel- 
son, slowly.  "I  have  these  letters  of  introduction  to 
assist  me  in  getting  started  in  America,  for  I  must  settle 
down  somewhere  and  go  to  work  for  a  living.  I  am 
not  crossing  the  ocean  on  a  pleasure  trip." 

"I  thought  you  said  you  did  not  need  to  go  to 
America  for  bread,"  said  Townley,  speaking  before  he 
realized  how  the  words  sounded. 

The  immigrant  blushed  slightly,  but  answered 
promptly,  "I  did  not  need  to  leave  England  to  make 
a  living.  For  me  life  would  be  easy  there,  too  easy 
to  suit  my  taste.  I  have  cut  loose  from  associations 
that  galled  me.  I  mean  to  carve  out  my  own  destiny 
in  the  new  world.  I  have  no  'family'  to  fall  back  on 
now." 

"Bravo,"  exclaimed  the  American,  heartily,  looking 
at  Reginald  Nelson  in  admiration.  The  young  immi- 
grant's face  had  a  look  of  energy  and  determination 
as  he  spoke.  His  blue  eyes  sparkled.  He  stood 
erect,  his  head  slightly  thrown  back,  a  picture  of  earn- 
est, positive  manhood. 

"Make  Bronson  your  home  and  you  will  never  re- 
gret having  given  up  a  life  of  inglorious  ease.  Bronson 
is  a  city  of  opportunity  and  it  is  growing  by  leaps  and 
bounds.  Its  population  is  now  fifty  thousand.  You 
will  find  life  in  Bronson." 

"I  had  been  thinking  of  choosing  one  of  your 
larger  cities  like  New  York^or  Chicago,"  responded 
the  imimgrant. 

"I  have  spent  some  years  in  both  New  York  and 


1 8  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

Chicago,"  said  Townley,  with  the  characteristic  impul- 
siveness and  assuredness  of  an  American,  "and  I  prefer 
Bronson.  You  see  real  America  face  to  face  in  the 
smaller  cities.  Our  very  large  cities  are,  for  the  most 
part,  imitations  of  the  cities  of  the  Old  World.  They 
are  poorly  governed  and  throng  with  foreigners  who 
have  never  assimilated  American  ideas.  Visit  Bron- 
son and  see  for  yourself." 

Reginald  Nelson  pondered  for  a  little  while  before 
answering  and  then  he  said  smilingly,  "If  I  should 
make  Bronson  my  starting  place  I  shall  have  at  least 
one  friend  to  begin  with." 

"Count  on  me,"  responded  Townley,  also  smiling, 
"but  I  shall  miss  my  guess  if  you  do  not  soon  gain  in 
Bronson  all  the  friends  you  need." 

"Let  it  be  Bronson  then,"  said  Reginald.  "I  will 
accompany  you  from  New  York." 

While  the  two  friends  were  conversing  further  in  re- 
gard to  Reginald's  plans,  a  sailor  interrupted  the  con- 
versation and  summoned  both  of  them  to  the  captain's 
office.  The  destruction  of  the  hose  had  been  reported 
by  the  outraged  dignitary  and  the  two  men  were  called 
upon  to  explain.  Reginald  described  the  circumstances 
to  the  captain  with  much  animation,  emphasizing  the 
intolerable  insolence  of  the  officer.  The  captain  in- 
sisted that  the  officer  was  acting  in  accordance  with  the 
rules  of  dsicipline,  and  began  to  threaten  the  immigrant 
for  resisting  and  interfering  with  lawful  authority. 

"That  explains  who  I  am,  sir,"  said  Reginald  Nel- 
son, finally,  taking  a  document  from  his  pocket  and 
handing  it  to  the  captain. 


THE  IMMIGRANT  19 

The  captain  read  the  document  with  a  look  of  aston- 
ishment and  returned  it  with  a  respectful  bow,  saying 
in  a  quiet  tone  of  voice,  "Very  well,  Mr.  Nelson,  I  will 
accept  your  explanation  and  we  will  call  the  incident 
closed." 

As  they  walked  away  the  immigrant  exclaimed  scorn- 
fully, "There  it  is  again.  The  justice  of  my  argument 
made  no  impression,  but  I  was  treated  respectfully  be- 
cause of  my  place  in  society.  Bah!  freedom  and 
equality  are  only  words,  only  words." 

He  paused  a  moment  and  then  continued:  "I  shall 
henceforth  get  respect  and  justice  as  an  immigrant  if 
I  get  it  at  all.  There  goes  privilege  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned." 

Saying  this,  he  took  the  document  which  he  had 
shown  to  the  captain  and  which  had  suddenly  changed 
the  whole  tenor  of  the  captain's  conduct  towards  him, 
and  crushed  the  paper  in  his  hands.  Going  deliberately 
to  the  ship's  rail,  he  tossed  it  far  out  on  the  billowy 
waves. 

The  action  aroused  intense  curiosity  in  the  mind  of 
Albert  Townley  and  he  was  about  to  question  Reginald 
in  regard  to  himself  when  they  were  both  astonished 
to  hear  a  girlish  voice  exclaim,  "Why,  here's  our  Mr. 
Townley." 

A  beautiful  young  girl  stood  before  them,  holding 
out  her  hand  to  Mr.  Townley  and  asking,  "Where  did 
you  come  from?" 

The  girl's  mother  was  behind  her  daughter  and 
Townley  greeted  both  with  enthusiasm. 


20  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"This  is  pleasant,  I  assure  you.  I  thought  you  were 
to  remain  another  winter  in  Paris." 

"Joy  became  so  homesick  that  we  had  to  start  for 
Bronson  and  her  father  kept  writing  for  us  to  return, 
so  here  we  are,"  said  the  woman. 

"I  am  so  glad  to  be  on  my  way  back  to  Bronson," 
added  the  daughter. 

"Always  loyal,"  responded  Mr.  Townley,  smiling, 
and  then,  remembering  his  companion  who  had  moved 
to  one  side,  he  introduced  the  mother  and  daughter 
to  Reginald  as  "Mrs.  Graham  and  her  daughter,  Miss 

Joy-" 

Mrs.  Graham  was  a  middle-aged,  fine-looking 
woman,  with  a  strong  face  which  might  have  seemed 
severe,  but  for  the  mild  glance  in  her  eyes.  The 
daughter  was  a  lovely  girl,  barely  twenty  years  old, 
with  raven  tresses,  dark,  shining  eyes,  and  attractive 
figure.  As  she  shook  hands  with  Reginald  Nelson  a 
faint  flush  mounted  her  fair  cheek  and  the  young  im- 
migrant's deep,  earnest  blue  eyes  lit  up  with  admira- 
tion. 

Albert  Townely  began  to  explain  how  Reginald  was 
crossing  the  sea  to  make  America  his  future  home  and 
that  he  expected  to  begin  in  Bronson. 

"He  has  just  been  showing  me  an  introduction 
which  he  has  to  Mr.  Graham's  law  firm,"  he  said  to 
Mrs.  Graham,  with  interest. 

"You  will  like  Bronson,  I  am  sure,"  said  Joy 
Graham,  turning  to  Reginald.  "We  have  been  away 
for  nearly  a  year  and  I  am  just  dying  to  be  home  in 
Michigan  again." 


THE  IMMIGRANT  21 

"Do  you  not  think  that  Paris  is  a  beautiful  city?" 
asked  Reginald  a  little  later.  Mrs.  Graham  and  Albert 
Townley  had  walked  on  and  the  immigrant  and  the 
girl  were  following. 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  "the  streets,  and  parks  and  build- 
ings are  delightful,  but  the  artificial  life  of  Paris  was 
depressing  to  me.  I  am  longing  for  the  free,  life- 
giving  atmosphere  of  my  native  land." 

"Mr.  Townley  has  interested  me  already  in  your 
native  city  of  Bronson,"  said  Reginald.  "He  is  a 
special  friend  of  your  family,  I  judge." 

"He  is  one  of  the  ministers  in  Bronson." 

"A  minister?"  said  Reginald,  in  amazement.  "Do 
you  mean  that  Mr.  Townley  is  a  clergyman?" 

"Yes,"  laughed  the  girl.  "Does  that  seem  strange 
to  you?" 

"I  should  never  have  judged  he  was  a  clergyman," 
said  the  immigrant.  "His  dress  does  not  indicate  it." 

"Oh,  our  Protestant  ministers,  or  clergymen,  as  you 
call  them,  do  not  dress  differently  from  other  people 
in  Bronson.  Customs  are  very  different  there  from 
those  in  England." 

"Do  you  attend  his  church?"  asked  Reginald. 

"No,"  answered  the  girl.  "He  is  pastor  of  the 
People's  Church.  We  are  members  of  the  Central 
Church  of  Bronson.  In  his  last  letter  papa  wrote  us 
that  a  new  minister  has  just  been  called  to  our  church,l 
a  well-known  man  from  the  Middle  West,  called 
Allan  Rutledge.  Mama  and  I  are  anxious  to  meet 
him  as  we  have  often  heard  about  him. 

"Tell  me  what  kind  of  a  place  Bronson  is,"  said 


22  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

the   immigrant,    changing   the  conversation,    and   Joy 
Graham  began  a    description   of   the    Michigan   city. 

When  the  dinner  gong  sounded  a  little  later  and 
Townley  and  Reginald  were  walking  down  to  the  din- 
ing room  together,  the  immigrant  remarked,  "I  am  be- 
ginning to  feel  that  I  know  a  good  deal  about  Bronson 
already." 

"I  think  you  are  beginning  to  make  a  good  impres- 
sion on  the  people  of  Bronson  already,"  responded 
Townley,  with  a  smile.  "Mrs.  Graham  was  much  in- 
terested in  you  and  Miss  Joy  seemed  to  be  delighted 
with  your  company.  Mrs.  Graham  was  asking  me 
about  your  home  in  England,  but  I  could  not  give  her 
much  information." 

"I  am  an  immigrant,  that  is  all,"  said  Reginald, 
with  a  note  of  pathos  in  his  voice.  aBy  the  way,"  he 
continued,  "Miss  Graham  told  me  you  were  a  clergy- 
man. I  am  much  surprised  to  hear  it." 

"But  not  offended,  I  hope.  Do  you  have  any  preju- 
dice against  the  teachers  of  religion?" 

"Religion  is  all  right,"  answered  the  immigrant 
evasively. 

A  day  later,  on  Sunday  morning,  Albert  Townley 
noticed  that  his  friend  did  not  attend  divine  service, 
which  is  always  held  on  Atlantic  liners  in  the  dining 
room  of  the  first  cabin  every  Sunday  morning. 

"In  spite  of  his  attitude  towards  religion,"  said 
Townley  to  himself  one  day  as  the  voyage  drew  near 
its  close,  "I  like  this  immigrant.  I  wonder  who  he  is." 

Albert  Townley  often  wondered  about  the  antece- 
dents of  Reginald  Nelson,  but  with  the  exception  of 


THE  IMMIGRANT  23 

the  few  hints  that  the  immigrant  gave  when  he  spoke  of 
a  possible  life  of  ease  in  England,  the  young  man  did 
not  mention  his  past  life  and  made  it  clear  that  he 
desired  his  past  history  to  remain  a  blank.  The  few 
attempts  which  Townley  made  to  satisfy  his  curiosity 
were  unsuccessful  and  seeing  that  the  efforts  displeased 
his  new-found  friend,  Townley  decided  to  accept  Regi- 
nald's terms  of  friendship  and  avoided  all  reference 
to  by-gone  days. 

"He  has  come  into  my  life,"  pondered  Townley, 
"like  Melchizedek  of  ancient  history,  'without  father, 
without  mother,  without  genealogy,'  but  I  am  mistaken 
in  my  estimate  of  him  if  he  does  not  make  good  in 
Bronson." 

The  friendship  between  Mrs.  Graham  and  the  immi- 
grant also  grew  during  the  ocean  voyage,  and  Joy 
Graham  found  him  a  most  agreeable  companion.  She 
discovered  that  he  was  a  violinist  and  persuaded  him 
to  add  his  part  to  a  concert  which  was  given  by  the 
more  talented  passengers  on  the  cabin  list.  The  immi- 
grant charmed  all  with  his  weird,  passionate  power  as 
he  seemed  to  play  out  his  very  soul  in  his  renditions. 
As  Joy  Graham  listened  she  intuitively  divined  that 
some  strange  mystery  was  buried  deep  in  the  heart  of 
Reginald  Nelson.  On  the  morning  of  the  day  that 
they  expected  to  reach  New  York,  the  immigrant  arose 
early  and  paced  the  deck  alone.  He  had  slept  little 
during  the  night  and  sought  refreshment  in  the  early 
exercise.  The  thought  of  the  New  World  and  his  life 
there  thrilled  his  soul. 

"Life,  life,"  he  kept  saying  to  himself  as  he  gazed 


24  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

on  the  wide  expanse  of  ocean;  "life,  I  am  beginning  to 
find  it  already.  As  Jason  found  his  Golden  Fleece  in 
Colchis,  so  I  am  assured  I  shall  find  my  treasure  in 
America.  Jason  had  a  Medea,  I  remember,  to  help 
him.  I  wonder  if  some  Medea  will  help  me." 

He  fell  into  a  reverie  and  pleasing  dreams  came  to 
his  mind  of  a  dark-eyed,  black-haired  maiden. 

The  approach  of  a  pilot  boat  aroused  him.  The 
pilot  climbed  on  board,  and  took  charge  of  the  wheel, 
to  guide  the  great  liner  safely  to  its  dock  in  New  York 
Harbor. 

"In  a  few  hours  I  shall  see  the  New  World,"  pon- 
dered Reginald.  "It  will  be  a  new  life  to  me.  Have  I 
acted  wisely?  At  any  rate  the  old  life  was  intolerable. 
The  very  name  of  America  thrills  my  soul  with  hope." 

Land  appeared,  rising  ahead  out  of  the  morning 
mist.  In  a  little  while  they  could  see  the  smoke  of  New 
York  clouding  the  western  sky. 

"Welcome,  liberty  and  life,"  said  the  immigrant  as 
he  crossed  the  gangway  and  set  foot  on  American 
soil. 

Contenting  himself  with  a  brief  visit  around  New 
York,  Reginald  accompanied  Albert  Townley  to  Bron- 
son,  Michigan. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ALLAN  RUTLEDGE  IN  BRONSON. 

The  day  after  his  arrival  in  Bronson,  Albert  Town- 
ley  was  walking  down  the  main  street,  nodding  his 
head  continually,  like  a  Chinese  mandarin,  as  his 
numerous  friends  greeted  him  on  every  side.  Suddenly 
two  men  stopped  in  front  of  him. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  home  again,  Mr.  Townley," 
said  the  older  of  the  two  men. 

"Mr.  Graham,  I  declare,"  responded  the  minister 
heartily.  "It  does  me  good  to  see  some  familiar  faces 
once  more." 

"Mrs.  Graham  and  Joy  have  been  telling  me  about 
their  pleasant  voyage  home  on  the  same  boat  with 
you,"  said  the  other,  who  was  Mrs.  Graham's  husband. 
"Here  is  a  friend,"  he  continued,  "whom  I  wish  you  to 
meet.  This  is  the  new  pastor  of  the  Central  Church, 
Dr.  Allan  Rutledge.  I  think  you  two  men  ought  to 
become  good  friends." 

Albert  Townley  looked  at  Mr.  Graham's  companion 
with  a  lively  interest.     He  had  often  heard  of  the- 
young  minister  who  had  stif  red  the  entire  Middle  West 
with  his  apostolic  fervor  and  his  practical  Christianity. 

"This  is  indeed  a  pleasure,"  said  Townley,  with  sin- 
cere cordiality,  as  he  grasped  the  out-stretched  hand 
of  Allan  Rutledge.  "I  welcome  you  to  Bronson." 

25 


26  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

The  two  ministers  greeted  each  other  with  genuine 
pleasure  as  they  were  known  to  each  other  by  reputa- 
tion, and  Allan  Rutledge  had  been  assured  that  he 
would  find  in  Albert  Townley  a  noble  minister  of  the 
Gospel.  Mr.  Townley  looked  with  admiration  at  the 
strong  face  and  manly  form  of  the  Western  minister. 

After  the  three  men  had  conversed  together  for  a 
few  moments,  Mr.  Graham  said,  "I  have  been  showing 
Dr.  Rutledge  around  the  city  this  afternoon,  and  I  was 
about  to  take  him  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  but  I 
believe,  Mr.  Townley,  that  you  will  be  a  better  guide 
than  I  would  be." 

"I  shall  be  pleased  to  accompany  him  there,"  replied 
Mr.  Townley,  quickly.  "By  the  way,"  he  added,  as 
Mr.  Graham  was  turning  to  go,  "there  is  a  young  im- 
migrant from  England  who  crossed  in  the  Neptune 
with  your  family  and  myself.  He  has  a  letter  of  in- 
troduction to  your  law  firm. 

"Mrs.  Graham  spoke  to  me  about  him  this  morn- 
ing," said  the  other.  "She  said  he  had  come  to  Bron- 
son  at  your  invitation.  He  has  not  yet  called  on  me, 
but  when  he  does  I  shall  be  glad  to  meet  him  and  do 
what  I  can  for  him." 

The  two  ministers  walked  down  the  street  together 
towards  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  a  new  and  commodi- 
ous edifice. 

After  looking  over  the  building  they  sat  down  to- 
gether in  the  handsomely  furnished  parlors. 

"Tell  me  something  about  your  work  in  Welling- 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE  IN  BRONSON      27 

ton,"  said  Mr.  Townley,  after  they  had  discussed  the 
splendid  work  which  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  accomplishing 
in  the  cities  of  America. 

"There  was  nothing  very  wonderful  about  my 
ministry  in  Wellington,"  replied  Allan  Rutledge,  smil- 
ingly. "I  am  surprised  to  see  the  interest  that  the 
country  has  taken  in  my  work  in  that  small  Iowa  town. 
The  facts  simply  were  that  the  community  needed  the 
Gospel  of  Christ,  and  I  was  privileged  to  bring  it  to 
them  in  an  effective  way." 

"But  in  the  reports  of  your  work  there  which  I 
have  read,"  said  Townley,  "you  revolutionized  your 
church,  the  college  in  Wellington  and  the  entire  com- 
munity." 

"When  I  began  my  ministry  in  Wellington,"  re- 
sponded the  other,  speaking  more  earnestly,  "both  our 
church  and  college  were  dead  spiritually.  There  was  a 
distressing  lack  of  life  and  power  and  I  simply  proved 
once  more  what  has  been  proved  ten  thousand  times 
that  the  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God." 

Before  accepting  his  recent  call  to  Bronson,  Allan 
Rutledge  had  been  pastor  for  six  years  in  Wellington, 
Iowa,  and,  as  Mr.  Townley  said,  his  ministry  there  had 
brought  him  wide  fame.  It  was  his  first  pastorate  and 
the  results  of  his  ministry  had  been  an  inspiration  to 
many  discouraged  preachers.  The  church  had  more 
than  doubled  its  membership,  Wellington  college  had 
taken  on  a  new  lease  of  life,  and  the  general  tone  of 
the  whole  community  had  been  improved  in  a  surpris- 
ing manner.  As  a  direct  result  of  his  success  the  whole 
Church  in  Iowa  had  had  a  new  birth  of  spiritual  power. 


28 

The  Central  Church  of  Bronson  had  finally  been  able 
to  prevail  on  the  powerful  young  Western  minister  to 
accept  a  call  and  he  had  only  arrived  in  Bronson  on 
the  week  preceding  the  return  of  Albert  Townley  from 
his  trip  abroad. 

"I  tell  you,  Mr.  Townley,"  said  Allan,  earnestly,  "it 
was  a  sad  day  for  me  when  I  left  Wellington.  Only 
that  I  felt  in  my  soul  that  the  call  to  Bronson  was  the 
call  of  God,  I  should  never  have  left  the  congenial 
surroundings  in  Iowa." 

"You  have  come  here,"  responded  Albert  Townley, 
speaking  with  intense  earnestness,  "in  response  to  the 
prayers  of  many  true  Christian  people.  We  feel  we 
are  in  bondage  in  Bronson  and  we  need  a  Moses  to 
deliver  us.  You  will  find  work  here. worthy  of  your 
highest  powers." 

"I  thank  you  for  this  word,"  replied  the  other, 
seriously. 

"I  have  been  here  for  two  years,"  continued  Mr. 
Townley,  "and  I  have  been  eager  to  regenerate  the 
community,  or  at  least  my  own  church,  but  I  feel  that 
I  have  miserably  failed.  I  had  really  begun  to  de- 
spair. The  burden  of  the  spiritual  death  became  so 
heavy  last  spring  that  it  almost  broke  me  down.  That 
is  how  I  came  to  spend  the  Summer  in  Europe.  I 
I  felt  that  I  must  get  away  somewhere  or  I  would 
lose  my  own  faith." 

Allan  Rutledge  looked  with  sympathy  at  his  fellow- 
minister  and  added,  quietly:  "I  can  sympathize  with 
you." 

Then  he  added,  smilingly,  "But  you  certainly  found 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE  IN  BRONSON       29 

health  in  Europe  for  you  look  the  picture  of  physical 
well-being." 

"I  found  more  than  health  of  body  during  my  visit 
to  the  Old  World,"  asnwered  Townley.  "I  received 
new  inspiration  for  my  life-work.  You  know  I  travelled 
as  far  as  the  Holy  Land,  and  my  observations  there 
cleared  my  mind  of  some  paralyzing  doubts." 

"Doubts  are  always  paralyzing.  They  are  the  curse 
of  our  age,  its  disease  rather,"  said  Allan  Rutledge, 
emphatically. 

Albert  Townley  then  related  how  his  Christian  faith 
had  been  strengthened  in  Palestine,  and  the  new  pastor 
of  the  Central  Church  listened  attentively. 

"Tell  me  now,"  said  Allan,  a  little  later,  "in  what 
way  Bronson  needs  regeneration.  I  only  arrived  here 
last  week  and  as  I  have  never  been  in  Bronson  before 
you  can  understand  I  am  still  rather  a  stranger.  I  must 
confess  I  have  been  delighted  with  the  looks  of  things. 
The  people  seem  so  cordial,  and  Bronson  looks  in  every 
way  like  a  prosperous  city,  with  its  growing  manufac- 
tures, its  beautiful  homes  and  streets.  I  have  also  been 
impressed  with  the  appearance  of  the  church  buildings 
in  the  city,  and  this  new  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  assuredly  a 
tribute  to  the  higher  life  of  the  people  of  Bronson." 

"Did  not  Wellington,  according  to  its  size,  look  just 
as  beautiful  on  the  outside  as  Bronson  does,"  asked 
Mr.  Townley,  "and  yet  have  you  not  just  told  me  that 
you  found  it  dead  spiritually?  It  is  so  with  Bronson, 
only  our  problems  are  more  complex  and  difficult  than 
was  possible  in  Wellington.  Like  so  many  of  our 
American  cities  Bronson  looks  best  on  the  outside,  for 


30  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

it  is  a  feature  of  our  modern  American  life  to  clean 
'the  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter,'  but,  alas,  the  inside 
is  often  horrible  enough." 

Allan  Rutledge  looked  grave  and  asked  his  com- 
panion in  earnest  tones: 

"Tell  me  exactly  what  you  mean.  I  want  to  know 
the  worst  about  Bronson.  Evidently  so  far  the  half 
has  not  been  told  me  for  I  have  only  heard  about  Bron- 
son at  its  best." 

"Do  not  for  a  moment  think  that  I  am  trying  to 
make  out  that  Bronson  is  a  specially  wicked  city," 
said  Townley,  quickly,  "but  I  would  like  you  to  be- 
gin your  ministry  here  knowing  that  Bronson  needs  a 
regeneration  far  more  then  Wellington  ever  needed 
one.  There  are  a  multitude  of  earnest  Christian  men 
and  women  in  our  city,  but  the  city  itself  is  now  in 
the  control  of  the  powers  of  evil.  It  is  foolish  to  deny 
it.  A  corrupt  ring  controls  our  city  politics  and  they 
keep  our  best  citizens  under  their  thumb.  Saloons  and 
gambling  places  are  wide  open  and  no  one  pretends 
that  our  laws  regulating  and  restraining  these  evils 
are  enforced.  There  are  vile  dens  in  certain  parts 
of  our  city  which  are  undisturbed.  In  one  word,  the 
cancer  of  evil  is  eating  the  life  out  of  our  body  politic 
and  our  churches  and  Christianity  itself  seem  help- 
less." 

Allan  Rutledge  listened  with  intense  seriousness  to 
the  words  of  Albert  Townley.  When  the  minister 
had  ceased  there  was  a  silence  in  the  room  for  a  few 
minutes  .  Finally,  Allan  asked,  "What  are  the  churchrs 
doing  to  heal  the  cancer?" 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE  IN  BRONSON      31 

"Practically  nothing,"  replied  the  other.  "That  is 
the  sad  part  of  it.  Our  churches  have  come  to  be- 
lieve that  the  cancer  is  incurable,  that  such  things 
must  be  tolerated.  There  is  a  little  Rescue  Mission 
manned  by  a  few  faithful  veterans,  which  makes  some 
feeble  protest  against  conditions  in  our  city,  and  this 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  also  doing  what  it  can  to  save  our 
young  men,  but  the  cause  of  righteousness  is  losing 
ground  in  Bronson." 

Allan  Rutledge  made  no  response  and  his  head  sunk 
wearily  on  his  hand. 

"Do  not  think  I  am  trying  to  discourage  you,"  said 
Mr.  Townley,  anxiously,  noticing  the  dejection  of  his 
friend.  "I  look  on  you  as  a  spiritual  specialist  sent  to 
Bronson  in  the  Providence  of  God,  and  I  am  setting 
before  you  the  disease  which  I  trust  you  can  heal." 

"You  are  doing  what  is  right,  my  brother,"  said 
Allan  Rutledge,  looking  up  at  Townley's  earnest  face. 
"I  understand.  I  think  I  am  beginning  to  get  a  true 
vision  of  what  my  work  ought  to  be  in  Bronson.  It 
certainly  will  not  be  one  of  ease  and  quiet,  I  can  see. 
Go  on  with  your  diagnosis." 

"I  am  speaking  in  strict  confidence,  remember,"  said 
Townley,  "just  as  a  local  physician  would  speak  to  a 
visiting  specialist,  but  I  want  to  give  you  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  condition  of  things  as  they  really  are.  You 
noticed  that  Mr.  Graham  greeted  me  very  cordially 
this  afternoon  when  he  introduced  us.  He  and  I  are 
good  friends  and  in  many  ways  I  respect  him  as  a  good 
citizen.  But  he  is  no  Christian  and  does  not  pretend 
to  be.  His  wife  and  daughter  are  members  of  your 


32  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

church,  but  he  is  not  a  member,  although  as  you  know 
he  is  the  leading  trustee  in  the  organization  and  really 
controls  the  Central  Church.  He  is  well  versed  in  re- 
gard to  the  inward  corruption  of  Bronson,  but  he  re- 
gards it  as  inevitable  and  will  fight  any  attempt  to  bet- 
ter conditions.  He  is  the  legal  counsel  of  the  corrupt 
ring  and  he  uses  his  splendid  legal  powers  to  keep  that 
crowd  out  of  the  penitentiary." 

At  this  rather  unflattering  picture  of  his  leading 
trustee,  Allan  Rutledge  looked  somewhat  blankly  at 
the  merciless  diagnostician.  His  companion  noticed 
the  expression  and  continued,  "I  want  you  to  pardon 
me  for  speaking  so  plainly,  but,  remember,  it  is  the 
business  of  a  physician  to  know  the  disease  he  is  called 
upon  to  cure.  Your  church  is  merely  a  sample  of  what 
every  influential  church  is  in  Bronson.  In  my  own 
church  the  editor  of  our  best  daily  paper,  the  Courier, 
is  one  of  the  leading  members.  His  name  is  Thomas 
Marchmount.  He  is  my  chief  trustee,  but  as  a  Chris- 
tian he  is  a  doubting  Thomas,  and  looks  on  the  churcn 
exactly  as  Mr.  Graham  does.  He  would  not  be  a  mem- 
ber to-day  had  he  not  joined  as  a  young  lad  many  years 
ago.  I  really  think  he  once  was  a  truly  believing  man, 
but  he  has  compromised  so  much  with  his  conscience 
that  the  inner  light  has  utterly  failed  him  now.  He 
absolutely  refuses  to  use  his  immense  influence  to  better 
our  social  conditions.  His  excuse  always  is,  'As  long 
as  men  are  men  you  will  have  these  evils  in  Bronson 
and  there  is  no  use  making  trouble  over  it.'  ' 

"I  think  I  am  beginning  to  understand  what  you  are 
driving  at,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  quietly.  "These  men 


33 

think  that  it  is  useles  to  fight  against  the  evils  which 
you  claim  are  eating  the  heart  and  life  out  of  ouf 
churches  and  community." 

"Exactly,"  said  the  other. 

"That  expression  of  Mr.  Marchmount's,  'As  long  as 
men  are  men  these  evils  must  be  tolerated,'  shows 
wherein  he  differs  from  the  teachings  of  Chrisitanity. 
By  the  grace  of  God,  Mr.  Townley,"  continued  Allan, 
rising  to  his  feet  in  his  earnestness  and  speaking  with 
great  emotion,  "I  shall  yet  make  Bronson  see  that  these 
evils  are  tolerated  not  because  men  are  men,  but  be- 
cause they  are  not  men.  They  are  only  half  men, 
quarter  men,  sixteenth  men,  miserable  manikins.  Bron- 
son can  be  made  as  clean  inside  as  it  is  outside  if  once 
the  people  of  Bronson,  the  Christian  people,  can  learn 
the  manly  and  essential  principles  of  Christianity. 
These  principles  need  to  be  applied  to  the  social  life 
of  Bronson,  and  I  will  apply  them." 

The  firm  jaws  of  the  Western  minister  looked  rigid 
as  he  finished  these  words,  and  Albert  Townley  could 
see  that  the  new  pastor  of  Central  Church  would  be  a 
force  to  be  reckoned  with  in  the  future  life  of  Bron- 
son. He  felt,  somehow,  that  Allan  Rutledge  had  some- 
thing which  he  lacked. 

"I  must  confess  to  you,  Dr.  Rutledge,"  the  Bronson 
minister  continued,  "that  I  look  on  my  own  ministry 
here  as  a  failure.  When  I  qame  here  two  years  ago 
I  believed  I  could  regenerate  the  community.  I  de- 
termined to  know  nothing  amongst  these  people  ex- 


34  'THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

cept  the  perfect  Christ,  and  I  felt  sure  that,  seeing  his 
beauty  of  character,  men  would  follow  him." 

Allan  Rutledge  looked  keenly  at  his  friend  and  re- 
marked, "You  were  perfectly  justified  in  holding  up 
the  perfect  Christ,  for  His  is  the  spotless  life  and  the 
ideal  character,  but  you  left  out  an  important  part,  a 
fundamental  part  of  the  Gospel.  Bronson  needs  to- 
day not  a  perfect  ideal  of  character.  They  need  a  re- 
deeming Christ." 

Albert  Townley  did  not  seem  to  notice  just  what  his 
companion  had  said  as  he  was  full  of  his  own  thoughts* 
and  he  went  on,  "I  was  assured  that  if  I  explained  the 
Bible  in  the  light  of  modern  scholarship  that  the  com- 
munity would  again  take  it  as  the  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  but  the  Bible  is  mere  folly  to  men  like  Graham 
and  Marchmount,  and  I  have  failed,  as  far  as  I  know, 
to  interest  a  single  soul  in  its  message  through  my  scien- 
tific explanations." 

'   Albert  Townley  spoke  sadly  and  looked  in  a  help- 
less way  at  the  new  minister. 

"My  brother,  I  begin  to  see  why  your  ministry  has 
been  so  fruitless,"  said  Allan,  kindly.  "You  have 
stood  before  the  people  explaining  about  the  texture 
of  the  cordage  in  the  life-line.  You  ought  to  have 
thrown  out  the  life-line  boldly  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
A  war  is  on  and  you  have  been  lecturing  on  the  fine 
quality  of  the  steel  in  the  sword  which  you  hold  in 
your  hand  as  a  soldier.  You  ought  to  have  cut  right 
and  left  with  the  sword,  and  hewn  the  enemies  of  men 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE  IN  BRONSON      35 

into  pieces.  Nay,  brother,"  continued  Allan,  laying  his 
hand  affectionately  on  the  shoulder  of  his  younger  com- 
panion, "the  people  of  Bronson  have  been  starving  for 
bread,  and  you  have  held  up  a  loaf  and  discoursed 
learnedly  and  eloquently  about  the  chemical  constitu- 
ents of  the  bread,  while  the  people  perish  with  hunger. ' 
Give  them  the  bread  of  life,  the  bread  of  life,"  said 
Allan,  in  conclusion,  "and  they  will  live." 

"But  they  do  not  want  the  bread  of  life,"  said 
Townley,  still  bowing  his  head  in  dejection.  "The 
people  of  Bronson  have  no  interest  in  vital  religion  as 
you  will  soon  find  out." 

"No,  no,"  replied  Allan  Rutledge,  confidently.  "I 
think  I  know  something  of  the  human  heart.  Men  do 
really  hunger  for  the  bread  of  life.  If  they  know 
where  to  find  it  they  become  eager  in  their  search." 

"The  only  really  active  force  in  Bronson  to-day,"  re- 
plied Townley,  "is  Socialism.  Our  working  people  are 
getting  fanatical  about  it  and  it  has  become  a  religion 
with  numbers  of  them.  Already  they  have  elected 
two  aldermen  on  our  council." 

"Socialism,  as  these  men  understand  it,  is  a  wild 
dream,"  answered  Allan,  "but  I  am  not  at  all  surprised 
that  Socialism  should  flourish  in  Bronson.  The  soil 
is  just  right  for  such  a  crop.  Men  are  crying  out  for 
brotherhood  and  if  the  church  cannot  answer  the  cry 
men  will  seek  brotherhood  where  they  think  they  can 
find  it." 

It  was  getting  late  and  the  two  men  arose  to  go. 


3 6  THE  V 1 SI ON  OF  JOY 

"Let  me  thank  you  most  heartily  for  what  you  have 
told  me  to-day,"  said  Allan  Rutledge.  "I  felt  God  had 
some  real  work  for  me  in  Bronson,  but  I  see  my  task 
is  more  responsible  than  I  had  expected.  Pray  for  me, 
brother,  pray  for  me.  I  wish  to  make  no  mistakes,  but 
I  am  determined  to  do  what  is  in  my  power  to  make 
the  Kingdom  of  God  come  in  Bronson." 

As  they  stepped  out  on  the  street  they  saw  the 
throngs  of  working  men  walking  from  the  factories  to 
their  homes.  Allan  looked  upon  them  with  interest 
and  sympathy.  A  tear  came  to  his  eye  and  he  said 
to  himself,  "Men,  the  workers;  men,  my  brothers." 

As  they  walked  down  the  main  street  the  crowds  kept 
growing,  and  soon  it  was  evident  that  something  was 
happening  on  the  street.  There  were  cries  and  shouts, 
and  a  great  mob  was  coming  toward  the  ministers. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Allan  Rutledge,  as  they 
stepped  into  a  doorway  in  order  to  escape  from  the 
crush. 

"I  think  the  strikers  have  been  getting  into  trouble," 
answered  Mr.  Townley.  "One  of  our  factories  which 
employs  mostly  women  and  girls  has  been  having  a 
strike  lately,  and  the  Court  has  issued  an  injunction 
against  picketing,  and  I  expect  the  police  are  enforc- 
ing the  injunction." 

Just  then  a  number  of  policemen  came  along,  each 
leading  a  young  woman,  whom  they  were  evidently 
seeking  to  take  to  the  city  jail  near  by.  The  girls  had 
been  arrested  for  disobeying  the  injunction  of  the 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE  IN  BRONSON      37 

Court,  as  Mr.  Townley  had  conjectured.  Among 
them  was  the  leader  of  the  strike,  a  young-looking 
woman,  Lena  Myers.  A  big,  burly  policeman  was 
leading  her  along  by  the  arm.  In  front  of  the  door- 
way where  the  two  ministers  were  standing  the  crowd 
became  so  dense  that  the  progress  of  the  officers  of 
the  law  was  stopped  for  a  few  moments,  and  the  leader 
of  the  strikers  took  advantage  of  the  occasion  to  be- 
gin a  speech. 

"Friends,"  shouted  Lena  Myers,  "we  women  are 
striking  because  we  want  to  be  able  to  live  respectable 
lives."  The  crowd  became  attentive  at  once  and  the 
girl  continued,  "Everyone  looks  down  on  a  bad  girl, 
but  we  girls  are  compelled  to  go  astray  as  long  as — " 

"Shut  up,"  said  the  policeman  who  held  her  arm, 
giving  her  a  shake  and  adding  an  oath  to  his  peremp- 
tory command. 

The  crowd  jeered  and  shouted  at  the  officers  of 
the  law  and  its  aspect  became  threatening.  Other 
policemen  appeared  and  forced  a  way  through  the 
crowd,  and  the  girls  and  their  captors  soon  passed  out 
of  sight. 

"You  see  we  have  many  problems  in  Bronson,"  said 
Townley,  looking  after  the  crowd  which  followed  in 
the  wake  of  the  policemen. 

Allan  Rutledge  made  no  answer,  but  to  himself  he 
said,  "I  can  well  understand  that  Socialism  will  grow 
in  Bronson." 

"Such  sights  as  that  on  our  streets  are  an  open  evi- 


3 8  THE  V I SI ON  OF  JOY 

dence  that  all  is  not  well  with  us,"  continued  Albert 
Townley.  "Do  you  think  you  can  help  us?" 

He  turned  to  the  Iowa  minister  as  he  spoke. 

"I  can,"  replied  the  other,  "but  it  will  mean  some- 
thing." 

The  two  ministers  separated  and  as  Townley  walked 
home  he  pondered  about  Allan  Rutledge  and  his 
ministry  in  Bronson.  "I  truly  believe,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, "that  he  can  and  will  help  us,  but  there  will  be 
an  upheaval.  The  time  is  ripe  for  Bronson's  re- 
generation." 


CHAPTER  III. 

REGINALD  NELSON  GETS  A  JOB. 

Reginald  Nelson  awoke  in  Bronson  the  morning 
after  his  arrival  with  a  feeling  of  loneliness.  It  was 
late  before  he  opened  his  eyes,  as  he  had  been  wearied 
with  the  excitement  of  his  long  journey  from  England 
and  previous  sleepless  nights.  Refusing  to  accept  the 
proffered  hospitality  of  Mr.  Townley,  he  had  spent 
the  night  at  the  hotel. 

Far  from  every  friend  of  his  youth,  in  a  new  world, 
beginning  life  anew  in  strange  surroundings,  the 
young  Englishman  experienced  the  heartache  called 
homesickness. 

He  looked  out  of  the  hotel  window  and  gazed  ab- 
sent-mindedly upon  the  busy  scene  presented  on  the 
street  below.  Already  the  stores  were  open  and  the 
busy  tread  of  the  city's  toilers  resounded  on  the  walks. 
Street  cars  glided  past,  the  motormen  clanging  the  bell, 
automobiles  rushed  along,  wagons  and  carriages 
crowded  the  street.  Everything  seemed  far  away 
to  Reginald  Nelson  and  there  was  a  touch  of  unreality 
in  it  all. 

"All  the  others  have  a  place  in  life  here,  but  I  am 
outside,"  he  said  to  himself,  sadly. 

Arousing  himself  with  an  ,effort  from  his  sombre  re- 
flections, he  began  to  think  over  his  plans  for  the  day. 

39 


40  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

He  decided  to  spend  the  entire  day  in  going  around 
the  city  and  seeing  its  streets,  residences,  factories  and 
stores. 

"I  shall  also  have  to  find  a  boarding-house,"  he  said 
to  himself,  beginning  to  take  fresh  interest  in  his  new 
life. 

After  breakfast  he  procured  a  map  of  the  city  and 
made  himself  familiar  with  the  principal  streets  and 
public  buildings,  and  then  set  out  to  look  over  the  city 
in  which  he  planned  to  begin  his  life  in  America. 
Bronson  is  a  picturesque  city,  located  in  the  southern 
part  of  Michigan,  amid  a  rich  farming  country.  Sev- 
eral railroads  run  through  the  city  and  the  exceptional 
shipping  advantages  have  tended  to  foster  large  manu- 
facturing plants,  Several  important  educational  in- 
stitutions also  add  to  the  fame  of  the  place,  and  at- 
tract students  from  all  parts  of  Michigan  and  from 
the  surrounding  states.  The  chief  residence  streets  are 
broad  boulevards,  macadamized,  and  lined  with  shade 
trees.  As  Reginald  Nelson  walked  around  the  city  it 
was  difficult  for  him  to  realize  that  this  beautiful  city 
had  sprung  into  existence  within  the  lifetime  of  many 
of  its  residents,  and  that  seventy  years  before  the  site 
was  nothing  but  a  bleak  wilderness. 

"I  feel  like  saying  as  the  Queen  of  Sheba  did  that 
'the  half  was  never  told  me'  when  I  look  on  this  busy 
hive  of  industry  and  life,"  he  said  to  himself.  "Joy 
Graham  certainly  has  a  right  to  be  proud  of  Bronson." 

He  wondered  where  the  home  of  the  girl  was  located 
and  longed  to  see  her  again. 

After  viewing  the  residence  part  of  the  city  Reginald 


REGINALD  NELSON  GETS  A  JOB      41 

took  the  street  car  through  the  manufacturing  section. 
In  the  distance  the  smoking  factories  added  to  the 
picturesqueness  of  the  scene,  but  Reginald  was  greatly 
disappointed  when  he  had  a  closer  view.  The  cottages 
in  which  the  working  men  lived  were  more  squalid,  he 
thought,  than  the  average  cottage  of  the  working  man 
in  England.  The  large  factories  also  had  a  temporary 
appearance,  and  dirt,  disorder  and  waste  seemed  to 
him  to  be  apparent  on  every  hand.  The  most  impos- 
ing shop  was  the  large  railway  shop  employing  an  army 
of  workmen,  and  fitted  up  with  every  kind  of  mechani- 
cal appliances. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  he  began  to  search  for  a 
boarding-house  and  found  a  modest  home  on  a  quiet 
street  where  he  engaged  a  room  from  a  middle-aged 
couple.  After  moving  his  few  belongings  to  his  new 
home  he  had  a  feeling  of  rest  and  satisfaction,  and 
his  outlook  on  the  future  became  more  rose-colored. 
He  found  the  husband  and  wife  with  whom  he  was  to 
lodge  and  board  agreeable  and  kindly,  and  they  at  once 
took  pains  to  make  the  young  immigrant  feel  at  home. 
Their  name  was  Cameron  and  Reginald  could  easily 
tell  that  his  host  was  a  Scotchman  by  his  accent. 

The  next  day  the  young  immigrant  began  the  serious 
work  of  getting  a  job  and  establishing  himself  in  the 
life  of  the  community.  He  had  not  seen  Albert  Town- 
ley  since  he  parted  from  him  at  the  hotel  after  his 
arrival,  and  he  did  not  wish  to  trouble  the  young 
minister  further  until  he  had  found  work. 

Accordingly  he  decided  first  to  visit  the  law  firm 
of  Millman  and  Graham  and  present  his  letter  of  in- 


42  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

troduction,  and  ask  them  to  assist  him  in  getting  a 
position.  He  had  little  trouble  in  finding  the  office  as 
it  was  on  the  main  street.  He  entered  the  outer  office 
and  although  it  was  still  early  in  the  morning  he  found 
a  number  of  callers  waiting  to  see  the  lawyers.  He 
took  his  seat  with  the  rest  and  surveyed  the  little  com- 
pany. It  was  certainly  a  cosmopolitan  little  gathering. 
An  Italian  woman  and  her  baby;  an  old  German,  with 
long  hair;  two  Irishmen,  and  three  or  four  others 
whose  nationality  Reginald  guessed  to  be  Slavic,  made 
up  the  company.  The  old  German  grumbled  some- 
thing in  broken  English  about  the  uselessness  of 
lawyers,  and  the  folly  of  laws;  the  baby  began  to  cry 
and  its  mother  hummed  an  Italian  baby-song;  the  two 
Irishmen  expressed  impatience  at  the  delay  in  seeing 
their  lawyer.  "Shure,  we've  lost  an  hour  already,  do 
ye  mind?"  said  one  of  them,  looking  at  his  watch. 

In  a  little  while  a  young  man  came  out  of  the  inner 
office  and  took  the  names  of  all.  Instead  of  telling  his 
name,  Reginald  gave  the  clerk  his  letter  of  introduction. 
The  young  man  disappeared  into  the  room  and  the 
little  company  waited  expectantly.  He  soon  re- 
appeared and  asked  Reginald  to  enter  first.  The  en- 
vious eyes  of  the  others  followed  the  immigrant  as  he 
walked  into  the  private  offices  of  Millman  and  Graham. 

A  stately,  important-looking  man,  about  fifty  years 
of  age,  greeted  Reginald  cordially. 

"I  am  Mr.  Graham,"  he  said,  heartily,  reaching  out 
his  hand.  "You  are  Reginald  Nelson,  I  believe.  I  am 
glad  to  meet  you.  My  wife  and  daughter  came  over 
on  the  same  boat  with  you  from  Europe." 


REGINALD  NELSON  GETS  A  JOB      43 

Reginald  had  not  expected  this  cordiality  and  was 
somewhat  confused,  but  managed  to  answer:  "I  had 
the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mrs.  Graham  and  your 
daughter.  Mr.  Townley  introduced  me." 

"They  have  been  telling  me  about  you,"  continued 
the  lawyer.  "You  have  come  to  make  your  home  in 
Bronson,  I  understand." 

"Yes,  I  am  an  immigrant,  and  I  expect  to  settle  in 
America,  and  spend  my  life  here." 

"Good,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  smilingly.  "Our 
country  needs  strong,  active  young  fellows  like  you. 
How  old  are  you,  Mr.  Nelson?" 

"I  was  twenty-four  on  my  last  birthday." 

"Indeed !  You  look  a  little  older  than  that.  What 
kind  of  employment  do  you  wish?" 

"I  would  like  to  get  into  a  newspaper  office,  if 
possible,"  answered  Reginald.  "If  that  is  not  possible 
at  first  I  wish  to  begin  somewhere  at  the  bottom  of 
the  ladder." 

"Good,"  again  repeated  Mr.  Graham,  looking 
keenly  at  the  young  fellow.  "I  do  not  think  there  is 
an  opening  at  present  in  any  of  our  newspaper  offices, 
but  the  agent  of  one  of  our  railroad  depots  spoke  to 
me  just  yesterday  about  needing  a  new  clerk.  Would 
you  care  to  begin  in  a  railroad  office?" 

"It  will  be  all  right,  certainly,"  replied  Reginald, 
promptly. 

Just  then  the  door  of  the  office  opened  and  Joy 
Graham  entered  her  father's4  office.  At  the  sight  of 
the  immigrant  she  blushed  slightly  and  paused,  but 
quickly  recovering  herself,  she  stepped  up  to  him,  say- 


44  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

ing:  "How  are  you,  Mr.  Nelson?  I  am  glad  to  see 
you  again." 

Mr.  Graham  had  turned  to  his  desk  to  write  a  note 
introducing  Reginald  to  the  station  agent.  Hearing 
his  daughter's  voice,  he  turned  around  quickly  and  saw 
the  two  young  people  shake  hands  with  great  cor- 
diality. His  keen  eyes  saw  the  little  flush  on  the  cheeks 
of  both  and  the  mutual  pleasure  which  glanced  from 
their  eyes. 

"What  is  it,  Joy?"  he  asked,  somewhat  abruptly. 

The  girl  dropped  Reginald's  hand  quickly,  looking 
embarrassed. 

"I  came  in  to  ask  you,  papa,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice, 
"if  I  might  call  at  the  jail  this  morning  to  see  those 
poor  girls  who  were  imprisoned  last  night.  Mama 
said  it  would  be  all  right  if  you  did  not  mind." 

"Do  you  mean,  Joy,  that  you  want  to  associate  with 
those  female  law-breakers  who  have  been  disturbing 
the  peace  of  our  city?  No,  no,  child,  let  such  people 
alone." 

"But  I  only  wanted  to  take  them  a  few  flowers.  The 
papers  say  they  are  all  good  girls  who  were  put  in 
jail." 

"I  could  not  think  of  allowing  you  to  give  those 
striking  work-women  any  encouragement.  They  have 
broken  the  injunction  law  and  they  must  pay  the 
penalty.  They  are  no  better  than  other  criminals." 

Mr.  Graham  frowned  sternly  as  he  spoke,  and  his 
daughter  saw  that  further  discussion  would  be  useless. 

There  was  a  suspicion  of  a  tear  in  her  eyes  as  she 


REGINALD  NELSON  GETS  A  JOB      45 

turned  away,  but  she  said  bravely:  "All  right,  father. 
I  would  not  go  if  you  would  not  like  it." 

Then  she  turned  to  Reginald  and  with  a  little  nod  of 
her  head  said  to  him :  "Good-day,  Mr.  Nelson.  I  am 
glad  to  see  you  in  Bronson." 

After  she  had  gone  Mr.  Graham  wrote  the  note 
of  introduction,  but  Reginald  imagined  that  he  was 
not  as  cordial  as  before.  In  a  rather  gruff  way  he 
handed  the  note  to  the  young  man,  saying,  "This  will 
introduce  you  to  the  agent  and  I  think  he  can  put  you 
to  work  at  once." 

Reginald  was  profuse  in  his  thanks  and  Mr.  Graham 
finally  bade  him  good-morning  in  a  more  gracious 
tone. 

With  his  heart  still  throbbing  from  his  brief  in- 
terview with  Joy  Graham,  and  feeling  that  his  note 
of  introduction  to  the  station  agent  gave  him  a  footing 
of  some  sort  among  his  fellow  men  in  Bronson, 
Reginald  walked  with  light  step  to  the  depot,  and  was 
soon  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  station  agent. 
The  agent  was  a  large,  kindly-looking  man,  who  al- 
most filled  the  little  apartment  in  which  he  sat  at  his 
desk.  Reginald  handed  him  his  note  of  introduction 
and  waited  anxiously  while  the  agent  opened  and 
perused  it. 

"You  want  a  job,  hey?"  was  the  first  greeting,  as  he 
looked  up  suddenly  from  the  letter. 

"If — if  you  need  someone,"  stammered  Reginald, 
rather  confused  by  the  agent's  abrupt  manner. 

"I  need  another  clerk,  sure  thing,"  responded  the 
agent,  "but  the  question  is,  will  you  do?" 


46  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

By  this  time  Reginald  had  recovered  his  self-posses- 
sion, and  he  answered  promptly:  "Give  me  the  place 
for  a  week  and  I  think  I  will  be  able  to  satisfy  you." 

"Have  you  had  any  experience?"  again  queried  the 
agent,  looking  the  young  immigrant  over. 

"I  have  had  quite  a  good  deal  of  experience  in  office 
work  in  England.  If  you  should  need  any  typewrit- 
ing done  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  that  to  do." 

"Do  you  know  shorthand  and  typewriting?"  asked 
the  agent,  quickly. 

"Yes.  I  learned  that  a  year  or  two  ago  for  amuse- 
ment, never  expecting  to  use  it,  but  I  am  fairly  pro- 
ficient now." 

"You're  just  the  man  I  want,"  said  the  agent,  with 
decision.  "I  need  someone  to  help  me  with  my 
correspondence  and  if  you  can  run  a  typewriter  I  want 
you  to  begin  work  at  once.  When  can  you  start?" 

"I  am  ready  any  time,"  said  Reginald,  feeling 
strangely  happy  over  his  first  job  in  Bronson.  "I  can 
begin  right  now,  or  immediately  after  dinner  to-day." 

"It  will  be  all  right  after  dinner.  I  will  look  for  you 
at  one  o'clock." 

The  brusque  agent  turned  to  his  desk,  and  Reginald 
walked  out  on  the  street,  feeling  that  he  had  the  earth 
under  him  once  more. 

"I  have  my  foot  on  the  bottom  rung  of  the  ladder," 
he  said  to  himself.  "I  may  not  climb  all  the  way  from 
the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies,  but  I  hope  I  can 
climb  up  a  few  rungs." 

That  afternoon  Reginald  Nelson  began  his  work  in 
the  railway  freight  office.  He  assisted  the  agent  in 


REGINALD  NELSON  GETS  A  JOB      47 

caring  for  his  correspondence  and  also  attended  to 
some  minor  clerical  work.  There  were  five  other  men 
in  the  office ;  the  cashier,  assistant  cashier,  the  bill  clerk, 
the  rate  clerk  and  the  car-number  clerk,  as  the  agent 
designated  them  when  introducing  Reginald.  The 
other  clerks  were  surprised  at  the  rapidity  with  which 
he  adapted  himself  to  the  work  of  the  office,  especially 
when  they  found  out  he  had  never  worked  in  a  railroad 
office  before.  During  the  first  afternoon,  when  the 
most  of  the  work  for  the  day  had  been  disposed  of,  the 
office  employees  began  several  discussions  of  various 
matters.  Reginald  listened  with  absorbed  interest  to 
the  talk,  but  took  no  part  in  it.  One  subject  of  interest 
to  them  all  was  baseball,  a  game  of  which  Reginald 
had  heard,  but  which  he  had  never  seen.  The  English 
game  which  corresponds  to  baseball  is  cricket,  a  game 
in  which  Reginald  was  an  expert. 

Later  on  the  conversation  turned  to  political  matters 
and  as  a  national  election  was  approaching  the  interest 
in  this  subject  was  intense.  Every  political  party 
seemed  to  be  represented  in  the  small  office  force,  Reg- 
inald judged  from  the  talk. 

Finally,  something  brought  up  the  matter  of  civic 
affairs,,  and  the  discussion  among  the  clerks  waxed 
warm. 

"We  have  a  fine  lot  of  guys  running  this  town, 
haven't  we?"  said  the  bill  clerk,  in  a  tone  of  disgust. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you  and  our  city  adminis- 
tration?" responded  the  cashier,  who  was  a  tall,  hand- 
some man,  with  an  aristocratic  air. 

"The  arrest  of  those  girls  last  night  was  an  out- 


48  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

rage,"  said  the  bill  clerk,  angrily.  "One  would  think 
we  were  living  in  Turkey  instead  of  free  America." 

Reginald  Nelson  stopped  his  work  and  listened  to 
the  conversation. 

"Those  girls  need  not  think  they  can  defy  our 
Courts  and  get  away  with  it,"  answered  the  cashier 
haughtily.  "They  tell  me  that  the  whole  lot  of  the 
strikers  are  a  crowd  that  is  not  much  credit  to  Bron- 
son." 

"They  lie  when  they  attack  the  character  of  those 
girls,"  shouted  the  now  thoroughly  incensed  bill  clerk. 
All  the  other  clerks  had  now  dropped  their  pens  and 
were  listening  to  the  dialogue. 

"That's  right,  Bill,"  interposed  the  rate  clerk,  ad- 
dressing the  defender  of  the  striking  factory-women. 
"Those  girls  are  all  right  and  that  one  that  you  are 
buzzing  around  is  a  fine-looking  damsel,  all  right." 

The  bill  clerk  blushed  and  was  silent,  and  Reginald 
knew  the  reason  why  he  was  so  ardent  in  his  denun- 
ciation of  the  attacks  on  the  girls. 

"Well,"  responded  the  cashier,  apologetically,  "I 
think  that  most  of  them  may  be  all  right,  but  the  pack 
they  arrested  need  to  be  in  jail." 

"You  poor  fool,"  exclaimed  the  other,  looking  at 
his  fellow  clerk  with  scorn,  "those  girls  they  arrested 
are  the  very  pick  of  the  lot  and  the  rotten  city  adminis- 
tration knew  it." 

"Right  again,"  interposed  the  rate  clerk,  further. 
"I  think  I  saw  your  girl  among  those  who  were 
'jugged',  didn't  I?" 

"I  am  not  ashamed  to  have  her  put  in  jail  for  try- 


REGINALD  NELSON  GETS  A  JOB      49 

ing  to  improve  conditions  in  that  factory,"  replied  the 
bill  clerk,  stoutly.  "I  tell  you  it  is  no  wonder  the 
Socialists  carried  two  wards  at  the  last  election.  I  have 
a  good  mind  to  turn  Socialist  myself." 

The  cashier  made  no  further  remarks  and  the  sub- 
ject was  dropped. 

Reginald  had  listened  with  intent  interest  to  this 
discussion.  He  remembered  the  request  of  Joy 
Graham  in  her  father's  office,  and  her  desire  to  visit 
some  girls  at  the  jail. 

"Perhaps  I  might  take  them  some  flowers  for  her," 
he  said  to  himself.  "Some  time  later  I  will  tell  her 
about  it." 

When  they  left  the  office  Reginald  joined  the  bill 
clerk  and  they  walked  up  the  street  together. 

"I  have  a  friend,"  began  Reginald,  abruptly,  "who 
wanted  to  take  some  flowers  to  those  girls  who  have 
been  put  in  jail." 

"I  thought  you  were  a  stranger  here,  sir,"  an- 
swered the  bill  clerk,  somewhat  ungraciously,  "and 
that  you  had  no  acquaintances  in  Bronson." 

"I  met  Mrs.  Graham  and  her  daughter  on  the  boat 
on  my  voyage  across  the  Atlantic,"  replied  Reginald, 
"and  I  happen  to  know  that  Miss  Joy  Graham  would 
be  glad'  if  the  girls  had  some  flowers." 

"Well,  what  of  it?"  said  the  other. 

"I  thought  if  you  would  go  with  me  to  the  jail  this 
evening  I  will  bring  some  flowers  and  have  them  dis- 
tributed as  a  gift  from  a  young  lady  who  sympathizes 
with  them." 

The  bill-clerk  looked  closely  at  Reginald,  much  sur- 


50  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

prised  at  his  proposition.  After  a  short  silence  he  an- 
swered, in  a  somewhat  more  cordial  tone,  "That  will  be 
all  right.  The  girls  will  appreciate  the  kindness.  I  will 
meet  you  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  steps  and  we  will  visit 
the  jail  together." 

That  evening  the  imprisoned  strikers  enjoyed  great- 
ly their  gift  of  flowers  brought  to  them  in  the  name 
of  "a  young  lady  of  Bronson." 

A  few  days  later  an  incident  happened  in  the  freight 
office  which  proved  to  Reginald  that  he  had  won  a 
place  amongst  his  fellow  workers.  He  was  assisting 
the  bill  clerk  in  way-billing  freight,  and,  being  unac- 
customed to  the  names  of  the  smaller  cities  in  America, 
he  made  a  mistake  in  way-billing  a  large  consignment 
of  freight,  and  when  the  shipment  reached  its  destina- 
tion there  was  an  overcharge  of  about  twenty  dollars. 
The  rule  of  the  railroad  office  was  that  such  mistakes 
must  be  made  good  by  the  clerk  at  fault,  and  Reginald 
was  dismayed  to  see  such  a  large  part  of  his  first 
month's  salary  lost  in  this  way.  However,  the  bill 
clerk  quietly  interviewed  the  other  clerks  around  the 
station,  and  three-fourths  of  the  amount  was  raised 
amongst  them  before  Reginald  knew  anything  of  their 
purpose.  The  little  act  of  kindness  touched  the  young 
immigrant,  and  he  was  loath  at  first  to  accept  the  as- 
sistance, but  his  fellow-workers  insisted. 

"They  know  what  brotherhood  is,"  Reginald  said  to 
himself,  as  he  walked  home  that  evening  from  the 
office.  "I  must  show  them  that  I  appreciate  the  whole- 
souled  way  in  which  they  have  received  me  amongst 
them." 


REGINALD  NELSON  GETS  A  JOB      51 

In  every  possible  way  Reginald  sought  to  be  oblig- 
ing in  the  office  and  in  a  few  weeks  he  was  a  favorite 
with  the  agent  and  his  fellow  clerks,  as  well  as  the 
other  employees  around  the  station. 

A  lame  colored  man  was  the  janitor,  and  towards 
the  black  man  as  towards  the  others,  Reginald  was  uni- 
formly courteous,  winning  the  devotion  of  the  negro. 

"Dat  Massa  Nelson  is  a  mighty  fine  gemman,  Boss," 
the  negro  janitor  often  said.  "He  sho'  is." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IN  THE  CENTRAL  CHURCH. 

Mr.  Cameron,  with  whom  Reginald  Nelson  lodged, 
was  a  devout  man  and  an  officer  in  the  Central  Church 
of  Bronson.  He  was  very  enthusiastic  over  the  new 
pastor  who  had  just  been  called  to  the  church. 

"You  will  like  our  new  minister,"  he  said  to 
Reginald  several  times  before  the  first  Sunday  came 
around. 

Reginald  always  tried  to  turn  the  conversation  when 
church  matters  came  up  and  Mr.  Cameron  soon  de- 
tected that  his  young  boarder  was  not  at  all  an  ardent 
churchman. 

When  he  retired  on  Saturday  evening  the  young 
man  pleaded  extreme  weariness  and  asked  to  be  al- 
lowed to  spend  the  forenoon  in  bed  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing. This  was  altogether  contrary  to  the  principles  of 
both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cameron,  but  the  lonely  immigrant 
seemed  weary  and  worn  and  they  readily  agreed  not 
to  disturb  him. 

At  the  dinner  table  Mr.  Cameron  was  more  enthusi- 
astic than  ever  about  the  new  minister. 

"Man,"  he  said,  earnestly,  with  his  broad  Scotch 
accent,  "you  ought  to  have  been  oot  this  mornin'  and 
heard  Dr.  Rutledge.  He's  a  power." 

52 


IN  THE  CENTRAL  CHURCH  53 

Allan  Rutledge  had  laid  special  emphasis  on  his 
evening  sermon  during  the  announcements  of  the 
morning  and  Mr.  Cameron  told  Reginald  that  he  was 
going  to  preach  on  "Christianity  and  the  Brotherhood 
of  Man." 

"That  is  a  good  subject,"  said  Reginald,  showing  a 
little  interest,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  Scotchman. 

"It  is,"  answered  Mr.  Cameron.  "Come  with  me 
this  evening,  and  I  will  introduce  you  to  the  minister. 
A  young  stranger  like  you  will  want  to  make  new 
friends  here." 

Accordingly,  somewhat  to  his  own  surprise,  Regi- 
nald found  himself  worshipping  that  first  Sunday  even- 
ing which  he  spent  in  Bronson  in  the  magnificent 
Central  Church.  On  entering  he  looked  around  with 
interest  at  the  large,  modern  church  building,  capable 
of  seating  over  1 200  worshippers.  Although  they  ar- 
rived early  the  church  was  already  filled  with  an  im- 
mense audience  which  thronged  the  main  auditorium, 
the  galleries,  and  even  the  Sunday-school  rooms  on 
the  side. 

In  order  to  get  a  seat  the  Camerons  and  Reginald 
were  compelled  to  go  up  to  the  very  front  seat.  The 
whole  church  was  alive  with  interest  and  the  enthusi- 
asm of  the  immense  congregation  pleased  the  immi- 
grant. He  had  spent  a  lonely,  miserable  morning 
alone  in  his  room,  and  he  was  glad  he  had  come  to 
church.  The  large  choir  slowly  filed  in  and  filled  the 
choir  loft  in  front  of  the  magnificent  pipe  organ.  This 


54  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

great  organ  was  pealing  out  the  opening  notes  of  the 
service,  and  the  crowd  gradually  hushed  itself  into 
silence. 

Reginald  awaited  the  apearance  of  the  much-talked- 
of  minister.  A  door  at  the  rear  of  the  pulpit  rostrum 
opened,  and  Allan  Rutledge  walked  slowly  to  his  seat 
behind  the  sacred  desk. 

Reginald  regarded  him  with  intense  interest.  Seat- 
ing himself  on  the  chair,  the  minister  bowed  for  a 
brief  moment,  covering  his  face  with  his  hand.  Then 
he  sat  up  straight  and  looked  out  over  the  sea  of  faces. 

"What  a  fine  specimen  of  a  man,"  was  Reginald's 
inward  thought  as  he  gazed  towards  the  pulpit.  Al- 
lan Rutledge  was  a  man  who  could  not  help  but  attract 
attention.  He  was  past  thirty  years  of  age ;  his  hair, 
coal-black;  his  eyes,  dark  and  piercing;  his  brow, 
smooth  and  high.  When  he  arose  to  announce  the  first 
hymn  there  was  an  air  of  mastery  and  self-possession 
about  him  which  showed  him  a  real  leader  of  men. 
Reginald  was  now  congratulating  himself  more  than 
ever  that  he  had  been  persuaded  to  attend  church  that 
evening,  and  he  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  service, 
when  something  unexpected  happened.  Just  before  the 
sermon  the  organ  began  to  play  softly  and  a  young  lady 
arose  in  the  choir.  Reginald  started.  It  was  Joy 
Graham.  Being  intent  in  observing  the  minister  he  had 
not  paid  much  attention  to  the  choir  and  had  failed 
to  see  the  girl  among  the  rest.  The  young  immigrant 
sat  spellbound  as  she  sang  "A  Little  Bit  of  Love." 
Her  flexible,  well-controlled  voice  filled  the  entire 
church  with  its  melody,  and  almost  the  entire  congre- 


IN  THE  CENTRAL  CHURCH  55 

gation  melted  into  tears  as  she  finished  the  song,  sing- 
ing with  intense  feeling,  "Oh,  the  world  is  dying  for  a 
little  bit  of  love." 

Allan  Rutledge  arose  to  preach.  His  face  was  the 
picture  of  health  and  strength,  and  before  he  uttered  a 
word  men  could  see  that  he  had  a  message  in  his  soul 
and  that  he  had  the  power  to  deliver  it. 

"Who  is  my  neighbor?"  he  exclaimed.  "These 
words  you  will  find  in  Luke,  the  tenth  chapter  and  the 
twenty-ninth  verse." 

The  minister  paused  a  moment  and  then  proceeded: 
"That  is  always  the  question.  Men  love  their  neigh- 
bors as  themselves,  but  the  question  is,  'Who  is  my 
neighbor?'" 

The  words  were  thought-provoking  and  Reginald 
Nelson  was  all  attention.  The  speaker  then  set  forth 
the  different  answers  to  this  question  which  have  been 
given  at  different  times,  all  of  the  answers  partial  and 
inadequate. 

"Who  is  my  neghbor?"  he  exclaimed  once  more. 
Then  in  vivid  language  he  pictured  the  story  with  which 
the  Lord  Jesus  had  answered  this  vital  question.  "To- 
day in  theory,"  continued  the  preacher,  "we  accept  the 
answer  of  the  parable.  The  brotherhood  of  man  is 
scientifically  taught  in  our  schools;  the  unity  of  the 
human  race  is  an  axiom;  the  desired  end  which  lovers 
of  men  everywhere  seek  is  to  make  this  brotherhood  a 
reality.  How  shall  it  be  done?" 

Once  more  the  speaker  paused.  The  great  audience 
was  listening  breathlessly. 

"Christianity    and    the   fundamental  principles  of 


5 6  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

Christianity  alone  can  make  a  brotherhood  of  man. 
Many  of  you  have  lost  faith  in  these  fundamental 
principles,  but  that  is  because  you  do  not  understand. 
The  Christian  religion  teaches  three  essential  doctrines, 
the  sinfulness  of  men,  the  universal  redemption  found 
in  Christ,  and  the  common  work  of  upbuilding  the 
Kingdom  of  God  on  earth." 

Reginald  Nelson  was  now  listening  with  eagerness. 
The  old  doctrines  of  his  ancestors'  religion  had  lost 
their  power  for  him.  He  did  not  wish  to  be  a  sceptic, 
but  faith  seemed  to  him  impossible.  He  felt  that 
there  was  something  about  Allan  Rutledge  different 
from  the  conventional  minister,  and  he  hoped  to  gain 
new  light  for  his  soul.  His  mind  was  receptive  and 
he  drank  in  the  preacher's  words  as  a  thirsty  man 
drinks  water. 

"What  I  wish  to  prove  to-night,"  continued  Allan 
Rutledge,  uis  that  these  fundamental  doctrines  are 
fitted  as  nothing  else  is,  to  promote  real  brotherhood 
among  men.  Mark  you,  I  am  not  now  trying  to 
prove  these  doctrines  are  true,  but  I  will  convince  you 
of  their  practical  utility  in  actual  life  to-day." 

The  preacher  then  set  forth  the  argument  that  a 
common  danger  unites  men  in  a  real  brotherhood,  illus- 
trating his  point  by  a  vivid  illustration  of  an  ocean  liner 
sinking  at  sea. 

"When  the  common  danger  is  realized,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "every  barrier  between  first,  second  and  third 
class  vanishes,  and  those  passengers  become  brethren 
at  once.  The  three  classes  are  now  men,  women  and 
children,  and  the  weakest  are  first.  The  common  dan- 


'IN  THE  CENTRAL  CHURCH  57 

ger  which  threatens  every  man  on  account  of  sin 
breaks  down  ever  barrier  where  men  truly  accept  the 
Christian  teachings,  and  makes  men  realize  their 
brotherhood." 

Reginald  was  dumfounded  with  this  argument  in 
favor  of  a  doctrine  which  had  become  very  distasteful 
to  him,  but  he  listened  as  the  speaker  continued. 

"A  common  salvation  unites  men  in  a  brotherhood 
and  the  salvation  offered  to  men  in  the  Gospel  makes 
men  feel  their  kinship." 

Again  he  illustrated  his  sermon  by  referring  to  the 
rescued  survivors  of  an  ocean  wreck  when  they  found 
themselves  safe  in  the  life-boats. 

"In  those  life-boats  there  is  no  division  of  classes. 
First,  second  and  third  class  have  vanished.  Once 
more  the  only  classes  are  men,  women  and  children, 
and  the  weakest  are  first.  A  common  salvation,  ac- 
cording to  an  unalterable  psychological  law,  breaks 
down  every  barrier  and  causes  men  to  realize  their 
brotherhood.  The  common  salvation  in  Christ  makes 
it  easy  and  natural  for  the  Christian  scholar  to  feel 
his  kinship  with  his  brother  Christian  in  ignorance. 
Class  distinctions  disappear.  The  rich  and  poor  be- 
come, brethren." 

Not  only  Reginald,  but  many  other  auditors  in  the 
church  were  hearing  something  new  as  the  preacher 
set  forth  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  in  this  way. 
Judged  by  their  capacity  for  social  service  Reginald 
saw  a  new  value  in  doctrines  which  he  had  judged 
meaningless  and  useless.  But  it  was  the  preacher's 
crowning  argument  that  won  Reginald  as  a  disciple. 


58  THE  V 1 SI ON  OF  JOY 

"A  common  work  unites  men,"  said  the  minister, 
and  Reginald  at  once  remembered  how  the  common 
work  of  the  office  force  at  the  railroad  station  had 
developed  brotherhood  which  bore  fruit  in  his  own 
case  when  his  loss  was  shared  by  all. 

"Pioneers  in  Iowa,  which  is  my  native  State,"  said 
the  preacher,  "have  often  told  me  how  there  was  a 
brotherhood  amongst  the  first  settlers  that  seemed  to 
disappear  as  civilization  moved  westward.  The  explan- 
ation is  simple.  At  first  the  early  settlers  had  a  com- 
mon task.  They  were  all  engaged  in  bringing  the 
fertile  soil  under  the  plow  and  laying  the  foundations 
of  a  new  empire.  Do  we  not  have  the  Brotherhood 
of  Engineers,  the  Brotherhood  of  Firemen,  the  broth- 
erhoods of  the  various  departments  of  labor?  It  is  a 
psychological  law  that  a  common  task  promotes 
brotherhood.  Christianity  gives  to  all  men  part  in  a 
common  task.  This  task  is  nothing  else  than  the  up- 
building on  our  earth  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  the 
creation  of  a  new  world,  here  and  now,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness.  In  this  noble  labor  every  true 
Christian  has  a  part,  no  matter  what  your  social  posi- 
tion may  be  or  what  place  you  occupy  in  the  econom- 
ic world." 

The  sermon  closed  with  a  powerful  illustration  in 
which  the  preacher  pictured  a  company  on  the  plat- 
form gathered  out  of  every  race  and  tribe  on  earth. 
"Here  is  an  Englishman,"  he  exclaimed  dramatically, 
looking  directly  at  Reginald.  "Here  is  a  Frenchman. 
Here  is  a  German.  Here  is  a  Chinaman.  Here  is  a 
Negro,  and  here  are  all  the  rest.  Now,  these  men 


IN  THE  CENTRAL  CHURCH  59 

absolutely  believe  the  fundamental  teachings  of  Jesus 
Christ.  They  believe  they  were  lost  through  sin;  they 
believe  they  have  been  redeemed  through  Christ;  they 
believe  they  have  a  common  task  in  the  bringing  in 
amongst  men  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Let  these  men 
stand  here  and  let  them  sing  to  you  a  Christian  hymn. 
What  will  it  be?  There  is  one  hymn  that  would  come 
spontaneously  from  that  cosmopolitan  group.  It  is 
this: 

"Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 

Our  hearts  in  Christian  love; 
The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 

Is  like  to  that  above." 

The  sermon  was  over.  The  great  congregation  sang 
as  a  closing  hymn  the  word  which  the  preacher  had 
repeated,  and  the  heartiness  of  the  singing  showed 
that  the  minister  had  touched  a  responsive  chord. 

"Let  me  introduce  you  to  Dr.  Rutledge."  The 
voice  of  Mr.  Cameron  awoke  Reginald  from  his  spell 
after  the  benediction  had  been  pronounced  and  before 
he  knew  just  what  was  happening  Mr.  Cameron  was 
leading  him  to  the  pulpit  steps. 

"Here  is  a  young  man  that  I  want  you  to  meet,  Dr. 
Rutledge,"  said  Mr.  Cameron.  "He  just  arrived  in 
Bronson  from  England  a  few  days  ago." 

The  minister  shook  the  immigrant's  hand  warmly. 

"I  have  been  in  England,"xhe  said,  "and  I  assure  you 
it  gives  me  pleasure  to  welcome  you  to  America.  You 
will  find  life  here." 


60  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"That  is  just  what  Mr.  Townley  told  me  when  I  met 
him  on  the  liner,"  replied  Reginald,  impressed  with 
the  similarity  of  their  greetings. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  the  minister.  "I  know  who  you 
are  now.  Mr.  Townley  spoke  to  me  about  meeting 
you.  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  here.  So  you  are 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Cameron." 

The  kindly  Scotchman  was  standing  close  by  and 
hearing  his  name  spoken,  he  turned  and  said: 

"The  lad  is  staying  with  us.  He  works  at  the  rail- 
road office." 

Others  were  pressing  forward  and  Allan  Rutledge 
held  out  his  hand  again  to  Reginald. 

"Can  you  come  and  see  me  to-morrow  night?  I 
would  like  very  much  to  have  a  visit  with  you." 

"I  shall  be  much  pleased  to  do  so,"  said  the  young 
man. 

Mr.  Cameron  and  Reginald  were  turning  to  go  when 
a  girl's  voice  startled  the  immigrant  by  exclaiming: 

"How  well  you  sing,  Mr.  Nelson!  We  could  hear 
you  in  the  choir  join  in  that  last  hymn.  You  must 
come  into  the  choir.  We  need  another  tenor  voice." 

"How  well  you  sing,  Miss  Graham,"  answered 
Reginald,  turning  to  face  the  lawyer's  daughter,  who 
had  hurried  from  the  choir  to  greet  him.  "I  wish  to 
thank  you  for  that  song  of  yours  to-night.  It  did  the 
lonely  heart  of  an  immigrant  good. 

There  was  a  pathos  in  his  voice  and  a  deep  look 
in  his  eyes  which  the  girl  noticed,  and  she  answered 


IN  THE  CENTRAL  CHURCH  61 

quickly,  "You  must  join  our  choir  and  get  acquainted 
with  our  young  people  and  you  will  not  feel  lonesome 
in  Bronson." 

"Thank  you,"  he  responded  earnestly,  and  bade  her 
good-night. 

"Where  did  you  meet  Miss  Graham?"  asked  Mr. 
Cameron,  as  they  walked  home  together. 

"She  and  her  mother  and  Mr.  Townley  crossed 
in  the  same  boat  with  me,"  explained  Reginald,  and 
then  he  told  of  the  way  in  which  he  had  happened  to 
choose  Bronson  as  his  home  in  America. 

"You  have  made  no  mistake,  young  man,  in  coming 
to  Bronson,"  said  the  Scotchman,  "especially  since  we 
have  a  man  like  Allan  Rutledge  in  our  town.  We 
needed  him,  for  we  were  growing  to  be  a  city  without 
a  soul.  I  miss  my  guess  if  he  does  not  bring  a  new 
conscience  into  Bronson  and  change  many  things  that 
have  troubled  me  of  late." 

"He  is  essentially  a  preacher,"  said  Reginald.  "It 
was  kind  of  him  to  ask  me  to  call  on  him  to-morrow 
night.  I  will  be  glad  to  go." 

"You  will  find  his  family  as  good  as  himself,"  said 
Mr.  Cameron,  with  enthusiasm.  "Mrs.  Rutledge  is  a 
genuine  lady.  She  has  travelled  a  great  deal,  and  she 
will  give  you  a  welcome  to  the  Manse.  They  have 
two  dear  little  children,  Abraham  and  Anna.  Anna  is 
just  a  baby,  but  Abraham  is  a  sturdy  little  fellow,  about 
three  years  old.  They  say  the  children  are  called 
after  Abraham  Lincoln  andvAnne  Rutledge,  as  you 
know  our  minister  is  a  descendant  of  that  famous 
family,  the  Rutledges." 


62  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"Is  that  so?"  replied  Reginald.  "I  am  delighted  to 
know  it.  Abraham  Lincoln  has  always  been  my  ideal 
of  a  man.  The  influence  of  that  man  on  the  life  of 
the  world  is  incalculable." 

The  next  morning  at  the  office  Reginald  was  some- 
what surprised  to  find  that  the  new  minister  of  the 
Central  Church  was  the  chief  topic  of  conversation. 
Most  of  the  clerks  had  attended  the  church  on  the 
previous  evening  and  had  heard  his  discourse  on  the 
brotherhood  of  man. 

"There  is  some  sense  to  preaching  of  that  kind," 
said  the  bill  clerk,  whom  his  companions  called  fa- 
miliarly "Bill." 

"Right  you  are,  Bill,"  responded  the  rate  clerk.  "I 
was  there  myself.  The  sermon  was  good,  but  the  song 
that  girl  sang  was  the  best  part  of  the  service  for  me." 

"Dr.  Rutledge  is  too  sensational  and  too  emphatic 
for  me,"  put  in  the  cashier,  in  a  disparaging  tone  of 
voice.  "I  don't  think  the  educated  people  of  Bronson 
will  pay  much  attention  to  him.  He  is  not  the  equal 
of  Mr.  Townley  by  any  means.  Any  one  can  see  he 
is  an  old  fogey  in  his  theology.  That  kind  of  stuff 
won't  go  in  Bronson." 

"I  venture  to  predict  that  Dr.  Rutledge  will  make  it 
'go'  whether  people  want  it  or  not,"  interposed  Regi- 
nald, taking  part  in  the  conversation  for  the  first  time. 
"He  evidently  does  not  try  to  please  either  the  edu- 
cated or  the  uneducated,  but  he  presents  some  fine  ideas 
in  regard  to  religion.  He  is  the  first  man  who  has 
interested  me  in  a  sermon  for  several  years." 

Just  then  the  agent  came  in  and  sat  down,  puffing, 


63 

at  his  desk.  "Say,  boys,"  he  called  out  to  his  office 
force,  "wasn't  that  a  great  sermon  by  the  new  preacher 
last  night?  That  man  seems  as  sure  of  his  ground 
as  an  engineer  who  has  his  orders  in  his  pocket.  He 
just  opens  the  throttle  and  if  you  don't  want  to  get  run 
over  you  have  to  clear  the  track." 

None  of  the  clerks  ventured  an  answer  to  their 
chief,  and  the  agent  continued:  "He  is  going  to  wake 
up  the  Central  Church  and  I'm  glad  of  it.  Ever  since  I 
became  a  member  of  that  church  I  have  felt  a  chill 
come  over  me  at  the  Sunday  services,  but  Dr.  Rutledge 
is  going  to  warm  things  up." 

Reginald  entered  the  agent's  apartment  to  assist  him 
with  his  correspondence,  and  the  clerks  were  soon 
busied  with  their  work. 

That  very  morning  in  the  law  offices  of  Millman  and 
Graham,  Mr.  Graham  held  a  conversation  with  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Central  Church. 

"How  is  our  new  preacher  going  to  suit?"  asked 
Graham,  enquiringly. 

"He'll  suit  a  lot  of  people  and  he'll  get  the  crowds 
all  right,  but  I  didn't  like  his  talk  last  night  at  all." 

"I  wasn't  out  last  night,"  answered  the  lawyer. 
"What  did  he  preach  about?" 

"Oh,  he  tried  to  bolster  up  the  old-fashioned  the- 
ology that  our  fathers  used  to  believe,  said  a  lot  about 
'social  justice'  and  'the  brotherhood  of  man.'  I  don't 
think  our  new-thought  people  will  be  satisfied." 

"I  met  Deacon  Cameron  on  his  way  to  work  this 


64  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

morning,"  said  Graham,  and  he  was  bubbling  over  with 
enthusiasm.  He  looks  on  Rutledge  as  a  regular 
prophet." 

Both  of  the  men  laughed  heartily  at  the  Scotchman's 
well-known  respect  for  an  earnest  minister. 

"What  I  am  afraid  of,"  continued  Graham's  com- 
panion, "is  that  Dr.  Rutledge  will  drive  away  our  cul- 
tured people  and  fill  the  pews  of  the  Central  Church 
with  a  lot  of  common  folks.  That  will  never  do,  you 
know." 

Mr.  Graham  looked  puzzled  for  a  moment  and  then 
answered  cheerfully: 

"Don't  worry  about  the  prospects  of  the  church.  It 
is  too  soon  to  judge.  Rutledge  was  a  big  success  in 
Iowa.  He  comes  from  a  good  family,  and  he  is  an 
educated,  cultured  gentleman.  Personally,  I  am  much 
pleased  with  him.  Of  course,  I  know  little  and  care 
less  about  his  theology." 

The  two  friends  separated,  but  Mr.  Graham's  com- 
panion left  the  office  gravely  shaking  his  head. 


CHAPTER  V. 

GETTING  ACQUAINTED. 

The  next  evening  after  Reginald  Nelson's  visit  to 
the  Central  Church  he  was  walking  slowly  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  home  of  Allan  Rutledge.  The  immigrant 
had  been  much  impressed  with  the  personality  and  cor- 
dial spirit  of  the  Iowa  minister  and  he  was  anticipat- 
ing an  evening  of  pleasure  in  his  home.  As  he  walked 
along  the  young  Englishman  began  to  reflect  on  his 
good  fortune  during  his  first  days  in  the  new  world. 

"Here  I  am,"  he  said  to  himself,  "a  stranger  in 
a  strange  land,  and  yet,  already  I  am  feeling  more  at 
home  in  Bronson  than  I  ever  felt  amongst  the  resi- 
dents of  Beachville  although  I  spent  my  whole  life 
almost  beside  the  place.  I  feared  I  was  making  a 
plunge  into  an  abyss  in  my  resentment,  but  I  find  real 
life  here  such  as  I  have  never  known  before.  Still  I 
wonder  what  the  family  would  think  if  they  knew  all 
about  me  now."  The  young  man  smiled  grimly  at  the 
last  thought. 

Reginald  Nelson  was  feeling  peculiarly  happy  that 
evening.  He  had  now  completely  mastered  his  duties 
at  the  railroad  office  and  cquld  perform  them  with 
ease  so  that  his  position  as  a  clerk  was  secure.  Be- 

65 


66  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

sides  on  that  day  he  had  two  callers  at  the  office.  Mr. 
Townley  had  called  for  a  brief  visit  and  congratu- 
lated him  on  his  success  in  getting  a  foothold  so 
quickly. 

"I  told  you,"  said  the  minister,  smilingly,  "that  you 
would  find  life  and  all  that  life  means  in  the  New 
World." 

But  Reginald  Nelson's  other  visitor  was  the  one 
who  had  really  shed  a  glow  over  that  entire  after- 
noon. To  his  astonishment  and  to  the  intense  interest 
of  his  fellow-clerks,  Joy  Graham  entered  the  office  and 
enquired  for  him.  He  was  diligently  at  work  in  the 
agent's  small  apartment,  busy  at  the  typewriter,  when 
she  called,  and  the  rate  clerk  ushered  her  into  Regi- 
nald's presence. 

"Good  afternoon,"  she  exclaimed,  cordially,  as  she 
greeted  him.  "This  is  where  you  are  working,  is  it? 
I  hope  you  like  your  place." 

The  immigrant  was  visibly  embarrassed.  Such  an 
informal  visit  from  a  young  lady  in  Joy  Graham's  posi- 
tion would  have  been  impossible  in  his  old  associations 
in  England  and  her  unexpected  appearance  astounded 
him. 

Quickly  noticing  his  embarrassment,  Joy  Graham 
went  on,  in  an  apologetic  tone : 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Nelson,  for  troubling  you  at  this 
time,  but  I  have  quite  a  favor  to  ask  of  you." 

By  this  time  Reginald  was  himself  again,  and  he  was 
on  his  feet  offering  the  young  lady  a  seat. 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  67 

"No,  thank  you,"  she  answered  in  gracious  tones,  "I 
can  only  remain  a  moment.  I  will  explain  my  errand 
at  once." 

Reginald  was  now  completely  under  the  spell  of 
those  two  shining  black  eyes,  which  had  attracted  him 
the  moment  he  first  saw  Joy  Graham  on  the  deck  of 
the  liner.  The  little  stuffy  office  melted  away  and  he 
was  in  dreamland.  He  felt  a  strange  joy  in  his  soul 
that  she  should  notice  him  as  she  was  doing. 

"Can  you  come?"  Joy  Graham  was  saying  these 
words  when  Reginald  came  back  to  earth.  In  his  ex- 
citement he  did  not  hear  the  first  part  of  her  conversa- 
tion. 

"Excuse  me,"  he  said,  in  confusion.  "What  was 
that?" 

"Our  Tourist  Club  meets  this  week  on  Thursday 
evening  at  my  home  and  we  are  to  visit  London,"  re- 
peated the  girl.  "We  would  like  to  have  you  with 
us  and  give  us  a  talk  on  your  great  English  city.  Can 
you  come?" 

"Oh,  yes,  I  see,"  stammered  Reginald,  beginning 
now  to  see  the  reason  for  the  unexpected  call  of  the 
girl.  • 

"What  is  this  Tourist  Club?"  he  asked. 

"A  number  of  the  young  people  of  our  church  meet 
every  two  weeks  and  we  have  been  going  around  the 
world  in  imagination.  We  {lave  travelled  through  Ire- 
land and  Scotland,  and  we  are  now  visiting  in  England. 
I  remembered  your  descriptions  of  London  and  we 


68  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

would  all  be  delighted  to  have  you  with  us  next  Thurs- 
day evening."  Joy  Graham  smiled  at  him  and  made  a 
little  bow  as  she  concluded. 

"It  will  give  me  pleasure  to  meet  with  you,"  he  re- 
sponded. I  have  never  described  London  before  ex- 
cept in  conversation,  but  I  think  I  can  get  up  a  little 
talk." 

Before  leaving  the  girl  repeated  her  hope  that  he 
would  assist  in  me  choir,  saying,  "The  choir  meets 
every  Friday  evening.  If  you  join  our  Tourist  Club 
and  the  choir  you  will  not  have  time  to  get  lonely,  don't 
you  know?" 

Reginald  laughed  heartily  at  the  little  English  inflec- 
tion which  the  American  girl  gave  to  the  last  three 
words. 

After  the  girl's  departure  there  were  whispered  con- 
versations amongst  the  other  clerks,  as  all  recognized 
her.  The  clerks  were  beginning  to  feel  that  the  Eng- 
lish immigrant  was  amongst  them,  but  not  of  them. 
However,  in  no  way  did  he  assert  himself  or  put 
on  airs  so  that  his  evident  social  superiority  added 
to  the  respect  shown  him  by  his  fellow  clerks,  but  did 
not  in  any  way  affect  his  popularity. 

Reginald  Nelson  went  over  the  details  of  Joy  Gra- 
ham's visit  as  he  pondered  to  himself  during  his  walk 
to  the  Central  Church  minister. 

"I  have  only  known  her  for  two  weeks,"  he  said  to 
himself,  "but  I  feel  as  though  we  had  been  acquainted 
for  years." 

It  was  a  warm  September  evening.  The  electric 
lights  flashed  amongst  the  trees  which  lined  the  Bron- 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  69 

son  streets.  Through  the  windows  Reginald  caught 
glimpses  of  happy  home  life.  Young  men  and  women, 
talking  vivaciously,  passed  him  continuously.  At  the 
street  corners,  under  the  brilliant  lights,  groups  of 
boys  were  still  out  enjoying  their  evening  of  fun. 

"Townley  was  right,"  the  immigrant  exclaimed, 
speaking  aloud  in  his  earnestness.  "I  am  finding  life 
in  America.  Life,  life." 

The  home  in  which  Allan  Rutledge  lived  was  in  an 
imposing  building  in  one  of  the  best  residential  dis- 
tricts in  Bronson.  Reginald  rang  the  bell  and  was 
greeted  by  the  minister  himself,  who  was  evidently 
awaiting  him,  and  who  warmly  welcomed  him. 

"Come  in,  come  in,  sir,"  said  the  minister,  heartily. 
"I  am  glad  to  see  you  to-night.  You  know  I  am  al- 
most a  stranger  myself  in  Bronson  and  we  can  sympa- 
thize with  each  other." 

"People  are  not  treating  me  as  a  stranger  and  an 
alien  in  Bronson,"  responded  Reginald,  cheerfully.  "I 
am  beginning  to  feel  altogether  at  home  in  my  novel 
surroundings." 

The  minister  noticed  the  use  of  the  word  "novel," 
and  also  marked  the  general  appearance  of  the  immi- 
grant -and  at  once  came  to  the  conclusion  Mr.  Townley 
had  reached  when  he  met  the  young  Englishman  on 
the  liner. 

"He  is  no  ordinary  immigrant,"  thought  Allan  Rut- 
ledge  as  he  gazed  admiringly  on  the  noble  form  of  his 
guest. 

"This  is  my  young  son,  Abraham,"  said  the  minis- 
ter, introducing  Reginald  to  a  young  boy  of  about  three 


70  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

years  of  age.  "He  is  a  little  fellow,  but  he  is  called 
after  a  great  man.  He  is  a  namesake  of  Abraham 
Lincoln." 

Reginald  greeted  the  little  fellow  with  genuine  en- 
thusiasm, as  he  was  fond  of  children.  The  boy  had 
been  presented  with  a  large  hobby-horse  a  day  or  two 
before,  and  he  brought  it  up  proudly  for  Reginald's  in- 
spection. Then,  mounting  the  horse  confidently,  the 
little  namesake  of  America's  great  war  President  rode 
across  the  room  in  triumph. 

"Bravo !"  shouted  Reginald,  clapping  his  hands. 

.Turning  to  the  father,  Reginald  noticed  Allan  Rut- 
ledge  regarding  his  little  son  with  tear-moistened  eyes. 

"My  hope  and  prayer  for  my  boy,"  he  said,  earn- 
estly, in  answer  to  the  other's  look,  "is  that  he  will  be 
worthy  to  bear  the  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln." 

"He  will  be  a  noble  man  assuredly  if  he  acquires  a 
character  like  the  noble  Lincoln,"  responded  Reginald, 
becoming  serious.  "Do  you  know  that  it  was  the  life 
of  Abraham  Lincoln  which  first  gave  me  a  glimpse  of 
what  democracy  means  and  of  what  life  really  is." 

"I  thought  England  was  a  democratic  country  and 
you  are  from  England,  are  you  not?"  said  Allan  Rut- 
ledge. 

"England  is  becoming  democratic,  much  to  the  dis- 
may and  dread  of  the  people  amongst  whom  I  lived," 
replied  the  young  man,  earnestly,  "but  I  was  educated 
as  an  aristocrat  and  taught  to  look  with  contempt  on 
common  people." 

"Indeed,"  replied  the  minister,  arching  his  eyebrows. 
"I  did  not  know  England  taught  any  of  her  sons  to 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  71 

despise  the  common  people  in  this  day  and  age  of  the 
world.  Where  were  you  brought  up  in  England,  Mr. 
Nelson?" 

The  immigrant  paused  a  moment  before  replying, 
and  answered  evasively,  "I  spent  the  most  of  my  life 
in  the  south  part  of  England,  but  let  us  leave  England. 
Destiny  has  given  that  little  island  a  large  place  in  the 
history  of  men  in  the  past  thousand  years,  but  I  believe 
America  is  now  to  hold  the  future  of  the  world." 

"Good,"  exclaimed  Allan  Rutledge.  "You  are  a  de- 
sirable immigrant,  for  you  come  to  us  with  faith." 

Reginald  was  about  to  answer  when  they  were  in- 
terrupted by  a  lady  entering  the  room,  carrying  a  baby 
in  her  arms.  She  was  a  gracious-looking  woman,  quite 
young  in  appearance,  with  light  flaxen  hair  and  lustrous 
blue  eyes. 

"Come  in,  dear,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  as  he  noticed 
his  wife  at  the  door,  for  it  was  she  who  was  entering. 
"Come  in  and  meet  the  young  Englishman  I  have  been 
telling  you  about.  Mr.  Nelson,  this  is  my  wife." 

The  immigrant  bowed  low  and  extended  his  hand 
with  a  courtesy  which  showed  that  he  was  accustomed 
to  mingle  in  the  higher  social  circles. 

"I  am  pleased  to  meet  you,  Mrs.  Rutledge.  What 
a  lovely  baby  you  have,"  he  added,  looking  with  ad- 
miration at  the  child  in  its  mother's  arms. 

The  young  mother  looked  down  fondly  at  her  off- 
spring, and  Reginald  thought  he  had  never  seen  a  more 
beautiful  picture  than  mother  and  child  made. 

Allan  Rutledge  took  the  child  in  his  arms,  saying, 
"This  is  our  daughter,  Anna.  She,  too,  is  called  after 


72  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

a  noble  woman.  Do  you  remember  in  the  life  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  that  pathetic  romance  of  his  early  days?" 

"You  mean  the  romance  of  Lincoln  and  Anne  Rut- 
ledge?"  responded  Reginald  quickly. 

"Yes,"  said  the  minister.  "Anne  Rutledge  was  the 
sister  of  my  grandfather,  and  I  am  proud  of  my  Rut- 
ledge  blood." 

"You  may  well  be,"  exclaimed  the  Englishman.  "I 
would  rather  have  the  blood  of  the  Rutledges  in  my 
veins  than  that  of  titled  lords." 

Allan  Rutledge  thought  that  the  young  man  spoke 
the  last  words  rather  bitterly. 

"In  America,"  said  the  minister,  smilingly,  "blood 
does  not  count  for  much  unless  it  is  found  in  connec- 
tion with  character  and  worth.  We  have  named  our 
daughter  Anna  after  Anne  Rutledge." 

"You  seem  to  be  fond  of  children,"  said  Mrs.  Rut* 
ledge  to  Reginald,  noticing  how  much  interest  the 
young  man  took  in  watching  the  little  Anna. 

"You  have  two  of  the  most  interesting  children  I 
have  ever  seen,"  replied  Reginald,  with  enthusiasm. 
"They  are  worthy  of  their  names,  Abraham  and 
Anna." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Nelson,"  answered  the  mother, 
blushingly. 

From  that  moment  Reginald  Nelson  had  a  true 
friend  in  Mrs.  Rutledge.  His  words  of  commendation 
for  her  children  completed  and  deepened  the  good  im- 
pression which  his  first  appearance  had  made  on  her. 

After  a  short  time  Mrs.  Rutledge  retired  with  the 
two  children,  little  Abraham  carrying  off  his  wooden 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  73 

horse  to  bed  with  him.  When  they  were  left  alone  Al- 
lan Rutledge  turned  to  his  guest  seriously  and  said, 
"I  expect  you  have  brought  a  church  letter  with  you 
from  your  old  home?" 

"No,"  answered  the  other,  stammeringly.  "I — I  did 
not  go  to  church  much  in  England." 

"Ah,"  responded  the  other,  in  a  somewhat  disap- 
pointed tone;  "I  thought  that  all  Englishmen  like  you 
were  churchmen." 

"My  family,  of  course,  were  church  people,"  replied 
Reginald,  looking  frankly  at  the  minister,  "and  I  was 
confirmed  in  the  Episcopalian  Church  of  England  as  a 
boy,  but  I  lost  faith  in  churches." 

"Lost  faith  in  churches  1"  exclaimed  Allan  Rutledge, 
in  astonishment. 

"I  mean  just  what  I  say,  Mr.  Rutledge.  For  the 
past  few  years  I  have  been  interested  in  the  politics  of 
England  and  in  questions  of  social  reform.  I  found 
out  that  to-day  the  greatest  barrier  to  real  democracy 
and  social  reform  in  England  is  the  church." 

"You  astonish  me,"  responded  Allan  Rutledge. 

"Listen  to  me,  Dr.  Rutledge,"  said  the  young  Eng- 
lishman, speaking  with  such  intensity  that  the  minister 
looked  at  him  closely.  Allan  Rutledge  could  tell  at 
once  that  the  young  man  was  in  dead  earnest,  and  he 
wondered  at  his  growing  excitement. 

"Listen  to  me,  Dr.  Rutledge.  There  was  a  temper- 
ance bill  before  Parliament  last  winter  which  would 
have  been  a  blessing  to  every  part  of  England.  Popu- 
lar opinion  was  behind  the  bill,  and  we  were  sure  of 
victory.  This  bill  was  defeatedHhrough  the  opposition 


74  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

of  clergymen  who  owned  brewery  stocks  and  who 
feared  the  bill  would  lessen  their  dividends.  More 
than  that,"  continued  the  youth,  clenching  his  fist  and 
unconsciously  raising  his  voice,  "our  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  was  lately  asked  what  his  views  were  in  re- 
gard to  the  labor  problem  that  presses  for  solution  in 
England,  and  he  answered  unabashed  that  he  worked 
seventeen  hours  a  day  over  the  organization  of  the 
church  and  had  no  time  left  to  think  of  the  labor  prob- 
lem." 

Allan  Rutledge  was  silent  and  gazed  at  the  immi- 
grant, wondering  who  he  was  and  what  his  place  in  life 
had  been  in  England. 

"I  liked  Keir  Hardie's  reply  to  the  Archbishop," 
continued  Reginald,  after  a  pause  "He  plainly  told 
him  that  a  religion  which  demanded  seventeen  hours  a 
day  for  organization  and  left  no  time  for  a  single 
thought  about  starving  and  despairing  men  and  women 
and  children  had  no  message  for  this  age.  I  agree 
with  Hardie  and  so  do  tens  of  thousands  of  the  young 
men  of  England  to-day." 

"It  is  all  very  different  in  America,  I  assure  you," 
said  Allan  Rutledge,  confidently.  "In  this  country  you 
will  find  that  the  churches  stand  for  righteousness  and 
humanity.  If  they  did  not  I  would  not  for  a  moment 
occupy  a  pulpit  in  any  of  our  churches." 

Reginald  Nelson  was  silent,  and  the  minister  asked 
him  abruptly,  "Are  your  father  and  mother  living,  Mr. 
Nelson?" 

A  look  of  intense  pain  swept  over  the  young  man's 
face  and  he  swallowed  hard  before  answering.  When 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  75 

he  spoke  his  voice  seemed  altered  and  hollow,  utterly 
unlike  his  ringing  tones  of  a  moment  ago  when  he  was 
denouncing  the  church. 

"My  mother  is  dead,"  he  said,  slowly.  "She  died 
three  years  ago.  I  left  a  father  and  brother  in  Eng- 
land." 

The  young  immigrant  sat  pensively  absorbed  in 
thought,  and  Allan  Rutledge  changed  the  subject  again 
by  speaking  of  his  native  state  of  Iowa. 

"You  know  I  am  a  native  of  Iowa.  The  Rutledges 
formerly  lived  in  Illinois,  but  my  branch  of  the  family 
went  to  Iowa  in  its  pioneer  days.  My  good  father 
and  mother  are  still  living  on  the  old  farm  by  the  side 
of  the  Des  Moines  River.  You  will  never  know  what 
America  is,  Mr.  Nelson,  until  you  visit  the  great  Mid- 
dle West." 

"Tell  we  about  your  Iowa  life,"  said  Reginald,  rous- 
ing himself. 

Allan  Rutledge  began  a  description  of  the  farm  life 
of  the  Middle  West,  the  pioneer  experiences,  the  amal- 
gamation of  European  races,  the  common  life  of  the 
people. 

Reginald  listened  intently,  now  and  then  asking  ques- 
tions, until  the  hour  was  getting  late. 

The  minister  saw  that  the  young  man  now  felt  en- 
tirely at  home,  with  him,  and  he  asked  him  seriously, 
"Will  you  help  us  in  our  work  of  the  Central  Church, 
Mr.  Nelson?  We  need  young  men  like  you,  and  the 
time  for  you  to  begin  churcfr  activity  is  now." 

"But  I  am  not  a  member  of  the  church,"  he  replied, 
hesitatingly. 


76  .THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"We  will  see  about  your  membership  later.  Mean- 
while, do  you  think  you  could  sing  in  the  choir  regu- 
larly? Miss  Joy,  one  of  our  prominent  young  mem- 
bers, suggested  your  name  to  me  to-day.  She  seems  to 
have  taken  quite  an  interest  in  your  welfare." 

Reginald  blushed  and  answered  quickly,  "You  know 
I  met  Miss  Joy  Graham  on  the  boat  coming  across  the 
Atlantic.  She  has  given  me  an  invitation  to  the  choir 
herself.  I  think  I  can  join  the  choir." 

"Fine,"  said  the  minister,  with  enthusiasm.  "In  my 
fishing  for  men  I  appreciate  the  help  of  young  ladies 
like  Miss  Graham." 

"By  the  way,  Mr.  Nelson,  our  young  people  in  Cen- 
tral Church  have  what  they  call  a  Tourist  Club,  and 
they  meet  at  Miss  Graham's  home  next  Thursday  to 
visit  London.  I  will  see  that  you  get  an  invitation,  as 
you  know  London  well,  I  am  sure." 

"I  have  already  been  invited,"  responded  Reginald. 

Allan  Rutledge  burst  out  laughing.  "For  a  raw  im- 
migrant, Mr.  Nelson,  you  already  have  a  place  in  Bron- 
son's  social  life  that  some  do  not  attain  in  years." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  sermon  of  the 
minister  the  previous  evening  on  the  Brotherhood  of 
Man. 

"You  have  given  me  some  new  ideas,  Dr.  Rutledge. 
I  hunted  out  my  mother's  Bible  after  I  went  home  last 
night,  and  I  have  begun  to  re-read  the  Gospels  with  a 
new  interest  and  a  new  point  of  view." 

"Christianity  is  still  practically  untried  in  the 
world,"  rejoined  the  other.  "I  do  not  blame  you  for 
feeling  outraged  at  the  position  taken  on  moral  and 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  77 

social  questions  by  some  clergymen  in  England.  Such 
men  are  not  ambassadors  of  Christ,  but  false  prophets 
of  Mammon.  I  fear  there  are  some  in  America,  but  I 
have  confidence  that  the  heart  of  our  American  Chris- 
tianity is  sound.  At  any  rate,  it  is  going  to  be  tested 
here  some  day  soon  just  as  the  temperance  bill  in  Eng- 
land tested  the  Christianity  of  the  English  Church." 

Reginald  Nelson  walked  home  along  the  streets,  still 
brilliant  with  electric  lights,  but  now  almost  completely 
deserted,  and  thought  over  his  conversation  with  the 
minister. 

"Dr.  Rutledge  attracts  me,"  he  said  to  himself.  "I 
shall  attend  his  church,  sing  in  the  choir,  and  help  him 
all  I  can,  although  it  is  little  that  I  can  do  now  to  assist 
my  friends  in  any  way." 

Thoughts  of  the  choir  recalled  to  his  mind  the  pic- 
ture of  Joy  Graham  singing,  "The  World  is  Dying  for 
a  Little  Bit  of  Love." 

"Love,"  he  said  to  himself.  "Love.  I  have  been 
seeking  life.  Heretofore  I  have  scorned  love.  Per- 
haps in  America  I  shall  find  love,  and  finding  it,  I  shall 
find  life  also." 

During  the  following  days  Reginald  Nelson  spent  his 
( leisure  hours  in  recalling  famous  scenes  in  London,  and 
in  composing  a  talk  which  he  expected  to  give  before 
the  Tourist  Club. 

When  Thursday  came  he  dressed  himself  with  such 
unusual  care  that  Mrs.  Cameron  exclaimed,  when  she 
saw  him  ready  to  go  out,  "Mercy  me,  Mr.  Nelson,  but 
you  look  like  a  fine  gentleman  to-night." 


y8  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"Do  I  look  all  right  to  appear  before  the  Tourist 
Club,  Auntie?"  asked  Reginald,  laughingly.  He  had 
begun  to  call  her  "Auntie,"  much  to  the  good  lady's 
pleasure. 

"You  look  fine  enough  for  a  wedding,"  she  replied. 
"A  fine  young  fellow  like  you  will  have  to  watch  out 
or  some  of  these  Bronson  girls  will  get  you." 

"It's  too  soon  to  think  of  anything  like  that  yet,"  an- 
swered the  immigrant,  lightly. 

When  he  reached  the  Graham  mansion  he  was  ush- 
ered into  the  hall,  where  he  was  met  by  Joy  Graham, 
who.  exclaimed  enthusiastically,  "Here  is  our  real  Lon- 
doner who  will  be  our  guide  to.night," 


CHAPTER  VI. 

JOY  GRAHAM. 

It  was  an  animated  scene  to  which  Reginald  Nelson 
was  introduced  in  the  Graham  home.  The  Tourist 
Club  was  composed  of  about  forty  young  people  of 
both  sexes.  Most  of  them  were  under  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  but  there  were  a  few  older.  Joy  Graham 
took  Reginald  in  charge  herself  and  presented  him  to 
the  different  members  of  the  club,  introducing  him  as 
"Mr.  Reginald  Nelson,  our  guide  in  London  to-night, 
a  real  Englishman."  The  immigrant's  self-possession 
and  courteous  greeting  to  them  all  made  an  impression 
on  the  company,  and  there  were  many  guesses  amongst 
them  who  Reginald  Nelson  might  be. 

Two  of  the  older  young  men  were  standing  side  by 
side  in  an  alcove,  and  after  Joy  Graham  had  intro- 
duced our  hero  to  them,  one  of  the  two,  whose  name 
was  George  Caldwell,  inquired  of  the  other,  "Who  is 
that  young  man.  He  has  the  look  and  bearing  of  an 
English  lord." 

"Pshaw,"  answered  the  other,  whose  name  was  Ro- 
land Gregory,  "he's  nothing  but  an  ordinary  immigrant. 
Miss  Joy  happened  to  meet  him  on  the  boat  coming 
across  the  Atlantic,  and  she  4s  going  foolish  over  him. 
I  will  have  to  stop  it." 

79 


So  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

The  two  young  men  followed  with  their  eyes  Reg- 
inald and  Joy  as  they  passed  around  the  room.  The 
flashing  dark  eyes  of  the  maiden,  her  animated  ap- 
pearance and  the  beauty  of  her  form,  and  the  hand- 
some countenance  and  noble  bearing  of  the  young  Eng- 
lishman made  them  an  interesting  sight,  but  Roland 
Gregory  frowned  darkly  when  his  companion  called 
attention  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  two  young  peo- 
ple. 

"He  has  the  bearing  of  a  gentleman,  perhaps,"  he 
remarked,  but  he  does  not  amount  to  much.  He's 
only  office  boy  at  the  freight  office.  I  think  we  ought 
to  make  our  Tourist  Club  more  exclusive." 

"Mark  my  words,  Roland,"  replied  the  other,  with 
decision,  "if  that  young  fellow  remains  in  Bronson  we 
will  hear  from  him  yet.  He  may  even  dispute  your 
claims  to  Miss  Joy." 

'Tm  not  afraid  of  that.  The  matter  is  all  settled 
and  was  before  Miss  Joy  started  for  Europe." 

"Don't  be  too  sure,"  said  his  companion,  moving 
away  to  greet  another  friend  of  the  company. 

These  two  young  men,  Roland  Gregory  and  George 
Caldwell,  were  the  leaders  among  the  young  people 
in  the  social  circle  connected  with  the  Central  Church. 
Both  of  them  were  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and 
mature  for  their  years.  Roland  Gregory's  father  had 
come  to  Bronson  in  an  early  day  and  was  now  one  of 
the  wealthiest  men  in  the  city.  He  had  started  his  son 
in  business,  and  the  young  man  was  manager  and  part 
owner  of  a  large  manufacturing  plant.  This  plant  em- 
ployed mainly  women  and  girls,  and  it  was  some  of  his 


JOY  GRAHAM  8 1 

employees  who  had  been  arrested  for  picketing  and  to 
whom  Reginald  Nelson  had  taken  flowers  in  jail.  Joy 
Graham's  father  and  the  elder  Gregory  had  been  fast 
friends  for  many  years,  and  the  two  families  had  al- 
ways been  on  the  closest  terms  of  friendship. 

The  other  young  man,  George  Caldwell,  was  the  son 
of  a  farmer  who  lived  a  few  miles  from  Bronson.  The 
young  man  had  come  to  the  city  a  few  years  before 
and  entered  one  of  the  banks.  Being  capable  and 
trustworthy,  his  rise  had  been  rapid,  and  he  was  now 
the  assistant  cashier.  Young  Gregory  kept  up  his  con- 
nection with  the  young  people  of  the  Central  Church 
largely  through  the  influence  of  Joy  Graham,  but 
George  Caldwell  was  genuinely  interested  in  Christian 
work. 

"Good  evening,  Vivian,"  said  George  Caldwell,  fa- 
miliarly, to  a  robust,  rosy-cheeked  girl,  whom  he  ap- 
proached after  leaving  young  Gregory.  "How  are  the 
folks  at  home?" 

"Glad  to  see  you  again,  George,"  replied  the  girl, 
heartily,  shaking  his  hand  vigorously.  "They  are  all 
well.  I  was  over  at  your  home  on  last  Saturday.  They 
want  you  to  come  out  and  see  them." 

"I  must  go  out  soon,"  he  responded.  "Why  didn't 
you  tell  me  you  were  going  home  last  week  and  I 
would  have  gone  along?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  answered  the  girl,  mockingly.  "Do  you 
think  I  am  going  to  run  after  you  asking  you  to  take 
me  home?  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  and  the  girl  haughtily 
tossed  her  head. 


82  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"I'm  honest  about  that,"  answered  the  young  man, 
earnestly.  "You  are  always  making  fun  of  me." 

"Well,  now,  don't  cry  about  it,"  she  replied,  patron- 
izingly, alluding  to  his  serious  tone. 

"I  will  take  you  to  the  dormitory  to-night,"  he  said, 
eagerly,  "but  I  will  have  to  leave  at  nine  o'clock  to  see 
a  customer  of  the  bank  on  some  important  business.  I 
think  I  can  get  through  and  be  back  here  before  the 
party  separates.  Our  Tourist  Club  is  going  to  have 
a  great  tour  through  London  to-night." 

"I  won't  promise  to  wait  for  you  if  you  are  not  here 
when  the  party  breaks  up,"  said  the  girl,  "but  if  you 
are  here  I  will  be  glad  of  your  company." 

"All  right,"  he.  answered.  "I  will  be  back  in  good 
time." 

"Who  is  this  fine  Englishman  that  Joy  is  toting 
around  to-night?"  asked  the  girl. 

"Haven't  you  met  him?"  inquired  George  Caldwell. 

"No,  I  just  arrived  a  moment  before  you  saw  me." 

"Come  along,  then,  and  I  will  introduce  you  before 
the  program  of  the  evening  begins,"  said  the  young 
man,  leading  the  way  through  the  company  to  the  place 
where  Reginald  and  Joy  were  standing  together. 

The  girl  who  had  this  conversation  with  George 
Caldwell  was  Vivian  Derwent,  whose  home  was  in  the 
country  not  far  from  that  of  her  companion.  Like  Joy 
Graham  and  Roland  Gregory  these  two  had  also  been 
brought  up  together.  Vivian  was  attending  the  Normal 
School  in  Bronson  and  lived  at  the  girl's  dormitory. 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  young  Caldwell,  ad- 


JOY  GRAHAM  83 

dressing  the  immigrant,  "but  here  is  Miss  Derwent, 
one  of  our  young  ladies  who  has  just  come  in.  She 
wanted  to  meet  the  lion  of  the  evening." 

"There  is  nothing  lion-like  about  me,"  replied  the 
Englishman,  with  a  smile,  as  he  greeted  the  young  lady 
cordially.  "I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  Miss  Derwent." 

"They  told  me  you  were  an  Englishman,"  said  Viv- 
ian, with  a  little  courtesy,  "and  you  know  we  associate 
the  lion  with  England." 

"But  you  are  an  American,"  replied  Reginald,  in 
bantering  tones,  "and  yet  I  would  not  think  of  asso- 
ciating you  with  an  eagle.  I  would  associate  you  with 
a  bird  of  paradise." 

Vivian  Derwent  blushed  at  the  compliment.  "When 
did  you  arrive  in  Bronson?"  she  asked. 

While  Reginald  was  answering  George  Caldwell  and 
Joy  Graham  were  called  to  another  part  of  the  room, 
as  the  program  of  the  evening  was  about  to  begin. 
George  was  the  presiding  officer  of  the  Club,  and  Joy 
was  the  hostess  for  that  evening,  so  that  both  were 
soon  occupied  with  other  things,  and  Reginald  was  left 
alone  with  Vivian.  They  sat  down  side  by  side  and 
the  program  was  soon  started,  somewhat  to  Reginald's 
relief,  as  he  wished  for  a  cessation  of  conversation  in 
order  that  he  might  compose  his  thoughts  better  for  his 
talk  on  London. 

The  program  began  with  a  piano  solo,  during  the 
rendition  of  which  the  company  subsided  into  silence 
and  arranged  themselves x for  the  evening's  entertain- 
ment. 

After  the  piano  solo  Roland  Gregory  and  Joy  Gra- 


84  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

ham  made  their  way  to  the  front  of  the  room,  and  he 
began  a  vocal  selection,  accompanied  by  Joy  on  the 
piano.  Before  beginning  his  song  he  straightened  him- 
self t  to  his  full  height,  looked  over  the  company  with  a 
superior  air  and  frowned.  Reginald  did  not  expect 
much,  and  he  was  surprised  when  the  song  began. 
Gregory  had  a  rich,  deep  voice,  and  the  absolute  still- 
ness during  his  singing  showed  his  musical  power.  At 
the  close  of  his  song  the  applause  was  spontaneous. 
After  this  came  a  recitation  by  a  young  lady,  a  charac- 
teristic American  humorous  selection,  which  the  Eng- 
lishman was  enjoying  greatly.  Suddenly  he  heard  a 
whisper  at  his  side  and  turning  around  saw  Joy  Gra- 
ham beside  him,  with  flushed  face,  holding  a  violin  in 
her  hand. 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Nelson,"  she  whispered,  "but  our 
next  number  on  the  program  was  a  violin  selection,  and 
the  young  man  who  was  to  play  could  not  be  present, 
as  I  have  just  found  out.  Won't  you  please  play  for 
us  the  piece  you  played  at  the  concert  on  the  boat?" 

"If  it  will  please  you,  Miss  Graham,  I  shall  be  glad 
to  do  so,"  responded  Reginald,  his  heart  beating  fast 
as  he  leaned  towrads  her,  whispering  in  her  ear. 

"Thank  you,  thank  you,  ever  so  much.  This  is  my 
own  violin,"  said  Joy,  handing  him  the  violin  and  steal- 
ing silently  away  again. 

When  the  humorous  recitation  was  finished  Reginald 
was  introduced  briefly  by  George  Caldwell,  who  ex- 
plained that  he  had  volunteered  to  fill  the  absent  vio- 
linist's place. 

As  he  looked  around  before  touching  the  strings 


JOY  GRAHAM  85 

with  the  bow,  the  immigrant  met  the  scornful  glance  of 
Roland  Gregory  fixed  upon  him.  "Let  us  hear  you 
play  the  violin  in  this  company,"  the  glance  seemed  to 
say  in  mockery. 

He  collected  himself  together  and  bent  over  the  in- 
strument. When  he  began  there  was  a  buzz  of  excite- 
ment, but  soon  all  were  still  and  listening  with  surprise. 
Softly,  gently,  the  music  pervaded  the  room.  The  only 
movement  now  visible  amongst  the  entire  gathering 
was  the  movement  of  the  player's  arm.  The  violin 
seemed  like  a  living  thing.  It  sobbed  and  moaned, 
whispered  and  cajoled,  laughed  and  cried.  The  pathos 
which  Joy  had  noted  when  he  played  the  same  selec- 
tion previously  Was  now  deeper,  and  more  appealing. 

Joy  Graham  herself  listened  spellbound.  Tears 
filled  her  eyes,  and  her  emotions  were  strangely  stirred. 
Of  all  the  arts  music  is  the  most  intimate  and  the  minor 
key  in  harmony  seems  to  touch  the  human  soul  beyond 
all  else.  Again  Joy  Graham  wondered  who  Reginald 
was  and  what  tragedy  had  grieved  his  soul.  The  poet's 
words  came  to  her  mind: 

"Music,  O  how  faint,  how  weak 

Language  fails  beneath  thy  spell; 
•  Why  should  feeling  ever  speak 

When  thou  canst  breathe  her  soul  so  well?" 

Softer  and  more  plaintive  were  the  tones  as  the  end 
of  the  playing  drew  near.  Still  sweeter  and  more  ap- 
pealing was  the  music.  Like  a  faint  echo,  dying  far 
off  amongst  the  distant  hilh,  the  melody  ceased.  There 
was  intense  silence  for  a  moment,  and  not  until  Regi- 
nald began  to  rise  was  the  spell  broken.  The  applause 


B6  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

of  the  company  was  deafening.  Had  he  contributed 
nothing  else  to  the  evening's  pleasure  except  his  violin 
selection  his  appearance  would  have  been  the  event  of 
the  evening. 

A  little  later  he  was  again  presented  to  the  company 
by  George  Caldwell,  who  made  a  brief  speech,  telling 
of  Reginald's  recent  arrival  from  England,  and  the 
pleasure  which  the  Tourist  Club  had  in  being  honored 
with  the  presence  of  a  real  Englishman  to  conduct  them 
through  London.  Another  prolonged  round  of  ap- 
plause greeted  Reginald  when  he  arose  to  give  his  talk 
about  England's  mightiest  city. 

He  had  prepared  a  rough  sketch  of  the  city,  which 
he  hung  on  the  wall  and  explained  first  of  all. 

After  a  brief  historical  introduction  he  began  his 
description  of  modern  London,  picturing  Its  streets, 
parks  and  buildings.  Joy  noticed  at  once  that  he  was 
no  novice  at  public  speaking  and  held  the  close  atten- 
tion of  them  all.  He  described  the  Tower  of  London, 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  Westminster  Abbey,  the  Houses 
of  Parliament  and  the  other  chief  places  of  interest 
to  actual  tourists  when  travelling  abroad.  His  descrip- 
tion of  Marlborough  Palace  was  especially  vivid,  and 
his  audience  realized  at  once  he  was  portraying  what 
he  himself  had  actually  seen  as  he  told  of  the  magnifi- 
cence of  its  furnishings  and  even  pictured  in  detail  a 
royal  reception  in  the  Palace. 

Before  concluding  he  spoke  briefly  of  the  darker  side 
of  London's  life,  telling  of  the  poverty  and  slums,  and 
of  the  heroic  efforts  that  England's  noblest  men  were 
making  to  uplift  these  submerged  masses. 


JOY  GRAHAM  87 

After  introducing  Reginald  to  the  company  George 
Caldwell  had  been  obliged  to  leave,  so  it  fell  to  the  lot 
of  Joy  Graham  to  express  the  thanks  of  the  Tourist 
Club  to  the  young  immigrant  for  his  part  in  making  the 
evening  such  a  success.  In  a  rather  stammering  way 
she  told  how  much  they  all  appreciated  both  the  violin 
music  and  the  trip  through  London,  and  she  welcomed 
Reginald  as  a  member  of  the  Tourist  Club  in  the  fu- 
ture. 

"We  have  found  this  London  guide  such  good  com- 
pany," she  said,  with  a  little  laugh,  "that  we  will  just 
take  him  along  with  us." 

Before  the  young  people  separated  almost  every  one 
of  them  shook  hands  with  Reginald,  and  he  felt  embar- 
rassed at  all  their  words  of  praise  and  appreciation. 
But  he  noticed  that  there  was  one  of  the  party  who  paid 
no  attention  to  him.  Roland  Gregory  utterly  ignored 
him.  As  the  young  people  separated  Reginald  noticed 
that  Gregory  stood  near  the  door  beside  Joy  Graham, 
so  he  bade  him  good-night  respectfully  but  curtly,  and 
then  turned  to  Joy. 

"This  has  surely  been  an  evening  of  pleasure  for  me, 
Miss  Graham,"  he  said  to  her,  sincerely.  "It  was  for- 
tunate for  me  that  I  crossed  in  the  Neptune  and  was! 
directed  to  Bronson." 

"We  thank  you,  Mr.  Nelson.  We  have  just  needed 
someone  like  you  in  our  Tourist  Club  to  give  our  im- 
aginary trips  a  touch  of  vreality.  I  thought  I  was  in 
London  to-night." 

Just  then  Vivian  Derwent  approached,  saying  with  a 


88  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

little  pout  on  her  lips,  "Dear  me,  George  has  not  come 
back  yet,  and  I  am  afraid  I  will  have  to  walk  to  the 
dormitory  alone." 

"Not  at  all,  not  at  all,"  said  Reginald,  gallantly.  "I 
am  able  to  take  a  hint." 

The  girl  blushed  in  great  confusion  and  stammered 
out,  "No,  no,  Mr.  Nelson.  You  know  I  did  not  mean 
that." 

"At  any  rate,  he  will  be  your  escort  home,"  said  Joy. 

As  Reginald  was  walking  home  with  Miss  Derwent 
he  asked  her  in  regard  to  Roland  Gregory. 

"Oh,  Roland  is  getting  to  be  a  regular  bore,"  said 
the  girl.  "He  used  to  be  a  fine  young  man,  but  he  is 
now  manager  of  that  factory  where  the  women  have 
been  having  a  strike,  and  the  airs  he  puts  on  are  ridicu- 
lous." 

"He  seems  to  be  quite  a  friend  of  Miss  Graham's," 
said  Reginald,  trying  to  speak  in  matter-of-fact  tones. 

"They  have  been  friends  all  their  lives,"  answered 
Vivian  Derwent,  innocently.  "They  are  engaged  to  be 
married." 

"Engaged  to  be  married!"  exclaimed  Reginald,  in 
such  horror-struck  tones  of  astonishment  that  his  com- 
panion started. 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  turning  to  look  at  her  escort. 
"They  were  engaged  just  before  Joy  started  for  Paris. 
What's  the  matter,  Mr.  Nelson?" 

They  were  just  passing  under  a  bright  electric  light 
as  she  spoke,  and  she  noticed  a  pallor  come  to  the  Eng- 
lishman's face  and  saw  him  stagger  for  a  few  steps. 

With  an  effort  Reginald  controlled  himself,  steadied 


JOY  GRAHAM  89 

his  walk,  and  answered,  "I  felt  dizzy  for  a  moment. 
Pardon  me  for  frightening  you." 

"It  was  so  hot  in  the  house  to-night,  I  felt  like  faint- 
ing myself  only  I  was  so  much  interested  in  your  talk 
on  London,"  replied  the  girl.  "Are  you  all  right 
again?" 

"I  am  all  right  now,"  Reginald  answered,  in  a  hol- 
low voice,  which  sounded  strange  to  himself. 

"I  wish  I  could  take  a  trip  over  the  ocean  some  day," 
went  on  Vivian,  in  a  lively  tone.  "My  grandfather 
came  from  the  north  of  Ireland  when  he  was  a  boy,  and 
I  have  heard  him  speak  often  about  his  life  over  there." 

Reginald  Nelson  thought  that  the  walk  to  the  dormi- 
tory of  the  Normal  School  was  never  going  to  end. 
Fortunately,  Vivian  Derwent  kept  up  a  chatter  of  con- 
versation, doing  almost  all  of  the  talking.  Had  he 
been  like  himself  he  would  have  enjoyed  the  opportu- 
nity to  find  out  in  regard  to  school  life  in  America,  but 
he  seemed  numb  and  helpless. 

"Good-night,  Mr.  Nelson.  Thank  you  ever  so  much 
for  your  company,"  said  the  girl,  when  they  had 
reached  the  end  of  their  journey.  "We  will  look  for 
you  at  the  Tourist  Club  at  every  meeting." 

"Good-night,"  answered  Reginald,  shortly. 

He  walked  home  slowly  and  meditatively.  Anyone 
passing  by  him  would  have  thought  he  was  enjoying 
the  peaceful  quiet  of  the  fall  evening,  but  the  world 
knows  little  about  our  real  lives.  A  civil  war  was  rag- 
ing in  the  heart  of  Reginald  Nelson  all  the  way  from 
the  dormitory  to  Mr.  Cameron's  house. 

"What  a  fool  I  am  to  care  whether  Joy  Graham  is 


90  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

engaged  or  not,"  something  within  him  seemed  to  say. 
"I  have  only  known  her  for  two  weeks.  What's  the 
matter  with  me?  This  American  atmosphere  has  taken 
me  off  my  feet."  "My  God,  Joy  Graham  engaged. 
No  hope  for  me  at  all,"  another  voice  seemed  to  an- 
swer in  despair.  "I  never  knew  until  to-night  how 
beautiful  she  was.  I  cannot  bear  to  think  she  belongs 
to  another." 

"Reginald  Nelson,  come  to  your  senses,"  the  first 
voice  responded.  "What  are  you  doing?  Here  you 
come  out  to  America  to  do  something  for  your  fellow- 
men.  You  leave  home,  friends,  prospects  behind  you. 
Once  in  America  you  begin  mooning  like  a  schoolboy 
after  the  first  pretty  face  you  see.  For  shame,  Regi- 
nald Nelson." 

But  the  second  voice  would  not  be  downed.  "En- 
gaged to  be  married,"  it  wailed. 

The  world-old  conflict  was  on  within  the  soul  of  the 
young  Englishman,  between  his  judgment  and  his 
heart.  He  had  allowed  Joy  Graham  to  acquire  a 
place  in  his  affections  such  as  no  girl  had  ever  attained 
before.  The  time  in  his  life  when  he  first  saw  her,  the 
romantic  surroundings  of  their  first  days  of  acquaint- 
ance, his  loneliness  in  a  strange  land,  as  well  as  that 
mysterious  attraction  between  people  which  sometimes 
springs  to  life  in  full  power  after  the  briefest  friend- 
ship, all  combined  to  give  the  American  girl  every  ad- 
vantage, although  she  herself  was  perfectly  ignorant 
of  the  havoc  she  was  making  with  the  life-plans  of 
the  immigrant. 

On  the  other  hand,  Reginald  Nelson  was  naturally 


JOY  GRAHAM  91 

thoughtful,  self-controlled,  masterful.  His  was  a  na- 
ture fit  to  be  touched  with  the  spirit  of  modern  con- 
ditions and  glad  to  surrender  himself  for  humanity's 
betterment. 

"I  am  miserable,"  he  finally  admitted,  "but  I  shall 
master  this  weakness.  I  shall  be  a  friend  to  Joy 
Graham,  even  to  Roland  Gregory,  to  all  men,  but  no 
more  of  this  sentimental  folly  in  the  life  of  Reginald 
Nelson." 

He  straightened  his  shoulders,  clenched  his  fists,  and 
turned  into  the  street  on  which  the  Cameron  house 
was  located. 

But  the  heart  of  a  man  is  not  so  easily  conquered 
and  Reginald  Nelson  never  forgot  that  long  night  of 
bitterness. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Townley,  you  are  just  the 
man  I  am  looking  for." 

Allan  Rutledge  greeted  his  brother  minister  in  Bron- 
son  with  these  words  one  Monday  morning  about  two 
months  after  the  eventful  night  when  Reginald  Nel- 
son acted  as  guide  through  London  at  the  Tourist  Club. 

"Delighted  to  see  you,"  answered  Mr.  Townley, 
cordially.  "What  can  I  do  for  you  now?" 

"I  want  to  have  a  conference  with  you  this  morn- 
ing about  something  of  importance.  Can  you  come  to 
my  home?" 

"Come  to  my  study  at  the  church,"  said  Mr.  Town- 
ley.  "You  have  never  yet  visited  me  there." 

Allan  Rutledge  accepted  the  invitation  and  the  two 
ministers  walked  down  the  street  arm  in  arm  in  the 
direction  of  the  People's  Church. 

"How  is  our  young  Englishman  getting  along?" 
asked  Mr.  Townley.  "I  do  not  see  Mr.  Nelson  very 
much.  He  has  become  a  member  of  your  church,  has 
he  not?" 

"No,"  responded  Allan.  "I  do  not  seem  to  be  able 
to  get  him  to  consent  to  a  public  avowal  of  his  faith 
in  Christianity,  but  he  is  a  regular  attendant  at  the 

92 


PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING  93 

church  and  he  mingles  to  a  certain  extent  amongst  our 
young  people." 

"I  have  a  peculiar  interest  in  the  young  man,"  said 
Mr.  Townley.  "He  came  to  Bronson  at  my  invitation 
in  the  first  place,  and  I  feel  that  there  is  moral  power 
in  him  if  it  could  find  an  outlet." 

"He  has  accepted  a  new  position  which  he  assumes 
the  first  of  the  year,"  answered  the  other.  "He  told 
me  yesterday  that  he  is  going  into  the  office  of  the 
Courier  on  January  first,  and  he  will  be  the  city  re- 
porter." 

"Good,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Townley,  enthusiastically. 
"That  is  a  better  place  for  him  than  the  railroad  office. 
We  shall  hear  from  him  in  the  newspaper  world,  I  pre- 
dict. How  did  he  get  the  position?" 

"Mr.  Marchmount  noticed  the  report  of  his  address 
at  the  Tourist  Club  about  two  months  ago,  and  sent 
for  him  to  get  an  interview  from  him  about  London 
and  England.  You  saw  that  interview  in  the  Courier, 
didn't  you?" 

"Yes,  of  course,"  was  the  answer.  "I  was  not  at 
all  surprised  to  see  the  masterly  way  in  which  the 
young  immigrant  sized  up  the  political  situation  in  Eng- 
land. He  is  no  common  immigrant,  I  tell  you." 

"Well,"  continued  Allan  Rutledge,  "that  interview 
showed  Mr.  Marchmount  that  there  was  ability  in  the 
young  man  and  he  needed  a  city  reporter,  so  he  offered 
the  place  to  Mr.  Nelson." 

"I  will  speak  to  Mr.  Marchmount  about  him  and  as- 
sure the  editor  that  he  has  made  no  mistake." 

Having  reached  the  People's  Church,  Mr.  Town- 


94  THE  VISION  OF  JO  Y 

ley  unlocked  a  side  door  and  ushered  his  friend  into 
his  study.  The  room  was  large  and  well  furnished, 
having  beautiful  book  cases,  full  of  books,  a  desk  and 
chair,  an  expensive  library  table  and  all  the  other  ap- 
purtenances of  a  well-ordered  study. 

Allan  Rutledge  looked  around  in  admiration. 

"You  have  a  fine  'den'  here,  my  brother,"  he  ex- 
claimed. "Any  one  could  compose  a  sermon  in  such 
a  place  as  this.  The  very  atmosphere  is  conducive  to 
reflection." 

"Still  I  am  often  lonely  here,"  answered  the  other, 
with  sudden  pensiveness.  "I  seem  like  a  hermit  shut 
up  in  my  cell.  When  I  want  a  real  sermon  I  have  to 
go  out  amongst  the  people  who  are  fighting  life's 
battles.  I  am  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  when  God 
said  'It  is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone'  He  meant 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  as  well  as  the  rest  of  folks." 

"Bravo,"  responded  his  companion.  "That  en- 
courages me  to  think  that  you  will  soon  leave  the  ranks 
of  the  benedicts.  I  was  afraid  you  were  a  confirmed 
bachelor.  What  have  you  been  studying  about  lately?" 
concluded  Allan  Rutledge,  taking  up  a  book  that  lay 
on  the  table. 

"Since  my  return  from  Europe  I  have  been  studying 
the  social  question  with  a  new  enthusiasm,"  responded 
Mr.  Townley.  "I  was  formerly  interested  in  Biblical 
criticism,  and  I  learned  German  so  that  I  might  read 
the  authorities  in  Germany  more  readily,  but  my  visit 
to  Europe  has  entirely  changed  my  outlook." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Allan  Rutlegde. 

"In  Europe,  to  my  surprise,  I  found  the  leading 


PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING  95 

thinkers  and  scholars  turning  their  attention  more  and 
more  to  the  matter  of  social  reform.  In  such  matters 
Europe  is  far  in  advance  of  America.  Some  of  the  re- 
cent legislation  in  Germany  and  England  would  be 
called  rank  socialism  with  us,  but  it  is  the  legislation 
of  which  they  are  most  proud." 

"You  mean  the  laws  giving  the  Governments  control 
of  monopolies,  and  the  legislation  providing  for  State 
insurance,  old-age  pensions,  minimum  wage,  and  such 
like?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Mr.  Townley,  somewhat  aston- 
ished. "Are  you  acquainted  with  the  social  progress 
in  Europe?" 

"I  thought  everybody  was  following  these  present- 
day  reforms,"  replied  Allan  Rutledge.  "I  have  been 
taking  for  a  number  of  years  an  English  magazine, 
The  British  Weekly.  It  is  a  journal  of  social  and  re- 
ligious reform  and  I  have  been  in  close  touch  with  the 
efforts  which  are  being  made  in  the  more  advanced 
nations  of  Europe  to  Christianize  social  institutions." 

"I  did  not  know  you  were  interested  in  these  things 
at  all,"  said  Mr.  Townley,  cordially.  "I  am  delighted 
to  know  it.  Do  you  know  I  think  that  the  church  must 
stand  still  until  we  can  Christianize  our  social  institu- 
tions in  America  ?  I  have  been  devoting  more  and  more 
thought  to  this  phase  of  the  work  of  the  church.  We 
have  been  spending  too  much  time  with  the  individual 
and  overlooking  our  duty  to  society." 

"There  is  truth  in  your  statement  that  we  need  social 
reforms  in  our  American  life,"  answered  Allan  Rut- 
ledge,  earnestly.  "I  have  studied  the  subject  of  sociol- 


96  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

ogy  for  years  and  ever  since  my  college  days  I  live 
been  convinced  that  our  economic  world  needs  to  be 
saved.  The  church,  the  school  and  politics  have  all 
been  democratized  and  Christianized  in  our  mo  :ern 
life,  but  the  business  world  of  modern  times  is  ne;  tier 
democratized  nor  Christianized." 

"Those  are  exactly  my  beliefs,"  replied  Mr.  Town- 
ley,  enthusiastically.  UI  have  just  been  reading  in  re- 
gard to  that  investigation  at  Bethlehem." 

"Bethlehem?"  echoed  Allan  Rutledge. 

"Oh,  not  Bethlehem  of  Judea,"  responded  the  other 
gravely.  "No,  no.  I  mean  Bethlehem  in  Pennsylvania 
where  the  great  steel  industry  has  a  plant." 

"I  had  not  yet  noticed  in  regard  to  that,"  said 
Allan. 

"The  report  showed  the  darker  side  of  our  prosper- 
ous country,"  responded  Albert  Townley,  arising  and 
getting  a  pamphlet  from  which  he  read: 

"  'Here  are  the  facts  about  the  strike  at  South  Beth- 
lehem. Nine  thousand  men  are  employed  in  the  im- 
mense plant  making  steel  for  a  wealthy  corporation 
which  is  paying  40  per  cent,  dividends.  These  enor- 
mous profits  are,  in  part,  possible  because  more  than 
half  of  these  workers  toil  twelve  hours  a  day,  most  of 
these  working  seven  day  in  the  week.  Over  30  per 
cent,  of  these  men  earn  less  than  $1.68  for  this  long 
day  of  labor.  Three  men  protested  to  the  management 
against  the  Sunday  labor.  They  were  at  once  dis- 
charged and  this  caused  the  strike.  The  wage  scale 
makes  the  herding  of  men  together  the  only  method  of 
living  possible  for  them.  Under  such  conditions 


PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING  97 

decency  is  impossible  to  say  nothing  of  Christianity.'  ' 

"A  report  like  that,"  continued  Mr.  Townley,  "gives 
rise  to  serious  thought  in  regard  to  social  justice  and 
our  modern  economic  system." 

"My  blood  boils  hottest,"  responded  Allan  Rut- 
ledge,  "when  I  learn  of  the  exploitation  of  women  and 
children  by  modern  industry." 

"That  is  just  what  we  have,  on  a  small  scale,  here 
in  Bronson,"  responded  Mr.  Townley,  quickly.  "I  feel 
there  is  no  regeneration  possible  for  Bronson  until  we 
have  some  social  readjustments." 

"You  remember  you  diagnosed  the  spiritual  condi- 
tion of  Bronson  for  me  a  few  days  after  I  arrived 
here,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  changing  the  subject. 

"I  remember  our  conversation  very  well,"  said  the 
other;  "have  you  found  my  diagnosis  correct?" 

"Your  diagnosis,  according  to  my  investigations, 
was  absolutely  correct,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  with  de- 
termination. "I  am  now  ready  to  apply  the  remedy 
and  I  propose  to  begin  a  campaign  which  will  result 
in  Bronson's  regeneration." 

Albert  Townley  stared  at  his  companion. 

"We  do  not  need  to  await  any  social  readjustments," 
continued  the  minister.  "These  readjustments  depend 
on  spiritual  regeneration  and  are  impossible  without 
it.  We  leaders  of  Christian  activities  in  our  churches 
must  learn  once  more  to  put  first  things  first.  Do  you 
not  remember  an  old  saying,  'Seek  ye  first  the  Kingdom 
of  God  and  His  righteousness;  and  all  these  things 
shall  be  added  unto  you?'  The  church  has  well-nigh 
forgotten  those  words  of  its  Founder." 


9 8  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"What  is  your  plan  of  regeneration?"  asked  Mr. 
Townley. 

"Bronson  needs  new  men  more  than  it  needs  any- 
thing else,"  responded  Allan,  with  decision.  "When 
we  get  new  men  a  new  society  is  possible.  Otherwise 
an  impractical  dream.  We  need  an  old-fashioned  re- 
vival of  real  religion." 

Albert  Townley  was  silent  and  dropped  his  head  on 
his  hands. 

"The  first  thing  for  us  to  do  is  to  unite  our  Protest- 
ant churches  in  a  genuine  religious  campaign.  If  you 
can  get  the  other  churches  in  Bronson  to  co-operate 
with  the  People's  Church  and  the  Central  Church  I 
will  guarantee  a  regeneration." 

Albert  Townley  was  still  silent. 

"Do  you  think  you  can  gain  the  co-operation  of  the 
other  Protestant  churches?"  asked  Allan  Rutledge, 
finally. 

"Explain  your  plan  further,"  said  Mr.  Townley, 
with  a  perplexed  look.  "If  we  do  succeed  in  getting 
our  Bronson  Protestantism  united,  what  do  you  then 
propose?" 

"Here  is  what  I  propose,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  ris- 
ing to  his  feet  and  towering  to  his  full  height.  "We 
will  build  a  tabernacle  capable  of  seating  10,000  peo- 
ple. We  will  not  build  this  tabernacle  on  the  top  of 
any  mount,  but  right  down  in  the  valley  amongst  the 
common  people.  Then  we  shall  have  a  strong  capable 
leader  take  charge  of  the  situation  for  five  or  six 
weeks,  holding  meetings  in  the  great  tabernacle  night 
after  night,  and  covering  the  city  with  cottage  prayer 


PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING  99 

meetings,  shop  meetings,  street  meetings,  saloon  meet- 
ings, and  every  form  of  Christian  activity  of  a  spirit- 
ual nature.  At  the  end  of  the  campaign  there  will  be 
a  new  atmosphere  in  Bronson." 

The  very  boldness  of  the  minister's  tactics  appealed 
to  Mr.  Townley,  but  he  was  still  unconvinced. 

"Who  would  you  get  as  leader  of  such  a  campaign? 
Will  you  undertake  it  yourself?" 

*'I  have  the  leader  in  mind,  a  personal  friend  of 
mine,  who  was  born  in  Iowa  not  far  from  my  own 
birthplace.  If  we  can  get  our  Protestant  churches 
united  on  such  a  campaign  this  leader  will  march  us 
to  victory." 

"Whom  do  you  mean?"  asked  the  other. 

"The  Rev.  William  A.  Sunday,  better  known  as 
'Billy'  Sunday." 

Albert  Townley  jumped  to  his  feet. 

"It  will  never  do,  Rutledge.  I  have  read  of  some 
of  this  man's  campaigns  and  of  their  success,  but  it  is 
absurd  to  think  of  bringing  him  to  Bronson.  This 
is  a  peculiar  community.  Do  you  think  Messrs.  Gra- 
ham and  Marchmount  would  endorse  such  a  move- 
ment?" 

"Listen  to  me,  my  brother,"  began  Allan  Rutledge, 
in  earnest  tones.  "In  planning  out  this  campaign  I 
never  thought  for  a  moment  whether  Graham  or 
Marchmount  or  any  one  else  would  endorse  it  except 
God  Almighty.  If  we  are  to  be  successful  leaders  in 
religious  work  our  faith  in  God  must  return.  Did  you 
not  assert  yourself  in  your  diagnosis  that  the  very  fact 
that  such  men  as  Marchmount  and  Graham,  men  with- 


ioo  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

out  vital  religion,  controlled  the  religious  organiza- 
tions of  Bronson,  was  the  most  damning  fact  in  our 
church  life?  What  I  propose  to  do  in  this  tabernacle 
campaign  is  to  free  the  church  life  of  Bronson  from 
the  deadly  grip  of  these  very  men  and  place  the  con- 
trol back  in  the  hands  of  the  Christian  people.  We 
must  democratize  and  Christianize  our  churches  once 
more  if  we  expect  to  reform  our  social  life  in  Bron- 
son." 

After  a  few  moments  of  further  conference,  Albert 
Townley  began  to  think  that  the  Iowa  minister's  plan 
of  campaign  might  not  be  so  wild  and  visionary  as  it 
first  appeared  to  him. 

"Perhaps  such  a  union  effort  on  the  part  of  our 
Bronson  Protestantism  might  result  in  good,"  he  said, 
finally,  to  Allan  Rutledge,  "but  do  you  think  that  this 
man,  Sunday,  is  the  best  leader  we  can  get?" 

"You  know  something  about  Billy  Sunday,  I  ex- 
pect," said  Allan,  questioningly. 

"I  have  never  met  him  personally,"  said  the  other, 
"but  I  have  often  heard  him  condemned  by  ministers 
and  others." 

"Did  you  ever  hear  a  minister  who  had  been  with 
him  through  a  campaign,  condemn  him?"  asked  Allan. 

"No,"  said  Mr.  Townley,  hesitatingly.  "I  do  not 
think  I  did,  but  they  say  his  methods  and  language 
are  vulgar  in  the  extreme." 

"I  have  known  Mr.  Sunday  since  he  was  one  of  our 
national  baseball  stars,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  seating 
himself,  and  turning  to  his  companion.  "I  was  only  a 
boy  then,  but  I  remember  how  proud  we  were  of  our 


PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING          i o i 

Iowa  baseball  champion.  After  his  conversion  I  lost 
sight  of  him  for  some  years,  but  when  he  entered  the 
religious  field  I  hailed  him  as  a  winner  for  I  knew  that 
he  had  exactly  what  our  age  needs.  He  has  courage, 
determination,  manhood  and  dynamic  energy.  Only  in 
the  past  few  years  has  he  come  to  himself  and  I  predict 
a  still  wider  field  of  usefulness  for  him.  He  is  fitted 
in  every  way  to  reach  the  average  American  community 
like  Bronson.  His  so-called  vulgarity  is  only  the  ver- 
nacular of  the  baseball  diamond,  and  it  is  the  every-day 
language  of  millions  of  Americans.  He  does  not  need 
to  use  this  language  but  he  humbles  himself  to  it  in 
order  to  reach  the  masses  and  save  them.  His  astound- 
ing success  is  proof  of  his  divine  commission.  The 
devil  is  not  fighting  against  himself  to-day  any  more 
than  he  was  in  the  days  of  Christ's  flesh." 

After  a  good  deal  of  argument  and  persuasion  Al- 
bert Townley  finally  agreed  to  visit  the  other  ministers 
in  Bronson,  with  whom  he  had  a  large  influence,  and 
seek  to  unite  Bronson  Protestantism  in  a  Billy  Sunday 
campaign.  Mr.  Townley  was  surprised  to  find  that 
almost  unanimously  the  other  ministers  agreed  that 
such  a  campaign  would  be  supported  by  them. 

"One  thing  sure,"  said  one  of  the  ministers,  "Billy 
Sunday  will  not  be  able  to  make  Bronson  worse  spirit- 
ually. Religion  seems  like  a  dead  issue  in  this  place 
as  far  as  I  can  see,  except  in  the  hearts  of  a  faithful 
few  here  and  there." 

The  result  was  that  a  meeting  of  the  ministers  and 
some  of  the  most  spiritual  men  in  the  different  churches 
was  called  to  discuss  the  matter  further.  The  Central 


102  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

Church  was  represented  at  this  meeting  by  Mr.  Camer- 
on. Mr.  Cameron  had  heard  Billy  Sunday  on  one 
occasion  during  a  western  visit  he  had  made  a  year 
before,  and  he  was  enthusiastic  in  favor  of  Allan  Rut- 
ledge's  plan. 

"It  will  be  just  as  Dr.  Rutledge  says,"  he  exclaimed 
at  the  conference.  "If  we  arrange  for  a  big  tabernacle 
and  invite  Billy  Sunday  to  Bronson  we  will  shake  this 
town  from  center  to  circumference,  and  we  need  such 
a  shaking.  Conditions  are  fast  becoming  intolerable, 
if  I  know  anything  about  religion  and  morality." 

Other  laymen  spoke  in  the  same  strain,  and  the  con- 
ference showed  that  the  feeling  amongst  the  business 
men  was  entirely  favorable. 

"There  are  a  number  of  our  business  men,  who  are 
not  members  of  any  church,  who  will  support  this 
enterprise  heartily,"  Mr.  Cameron  assured  them. 

It  was  planned  to  present  the  matter  to  the  different 
churches  the  following  Sabbath  and  complete  the  ar- 
rangements at  once  if  the  congregations  would  agree. 

The  next  Sabbath  was  a  cold,  disagreeable  day  and 
only  the  more  earnest  of  the  church  members  were  in 
attendance  at  the  churches.  The  proposed  union  of  the 
Protestant  forces  in  a  spiritual  campaign  appealed  to 
the  individual  churches  of  all  denominations  and  the 
ministers  were  astonished  and  pleased  to  find  out  the 
amount  of  real  religious  interest  which  had  been  lat- 
ent in  their  congregations. 

Allan  Rutledge  made  a  visit  to  a  neighboring  State, 
where  Mr.  Sunday  was  conducting  a  campaign,  and 


PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING          103 

prevailed  upon  him  to  arrange  for  a  meeting  in  Bron- 
son  early  in  the  New  Year. 

"We  need  you  in  Bronson,  Billy,"  said  Allan  Rut- 
ledge,  with  intense  earnestness,  "and  God  needs  you." 

"All  right,"  was  the  ex-baseball  champion's  char- 
acteristic remark,  "Go  ahead  and  get  up  the  tabernacle. 
I'm  ready  to  buck  the  gang  in  Bronson  or  anywhere 
else.  I  have  never  back-pedalled  for  the  devil  yet  and 
I  never  will." 

The  proposed  campaign  was  completely  arranged 
for  before  any  reference  was  made  to  it  in  the  news- 
papers of  Bronson.  The  public  announcement  at  first 
attracted  little  attention,  but  as  time  went  on  and  the 
preparations  for  the  building  of  the  immense  taber- 
nacle were  begun  there  were  signs  of  anxiety  amongst 
certain  of  Bronson's  citizens. 

"Is  this  grafter,  Billy  Sunday,  coming  to  Bronson?" 
said  Bud  McCrea  to  Mr.  Graham  one  day  in  the  law 
office  of  Millman  and  Graham.  Bud  McCrea  was 
the  uncrowned  king  of  Bronson.  He  was  the  boss 
who  controlled  the  politics  of  the  community  as  really 
as  any  feudal  baron  did  in  former  times  in  his  do- 
main. Any  privilege  that  was  desired  had  to  have 
the  approval  of  Bud  McCrea  as  every  political  aspir- 
ant well  knew.  The  man  seemed  to  feel  a  sense  of 
injured  dignity  that  it  was  proposed  to  inaugurate  a 
spiritual  campaign  without  first  obtaining  his  consent. 

"Is  this  grafter,  Billy  Sunday,  coming  to  Bronson?" 

There  was  a  scowl  on  his  face  and  a  tone  of  irrita- 
tion in  his  voice  as  he  spoke. 

Mr.  Graham  looked  at  the  boss  and  smiled. 


104  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

"Don't  be  afraid,  Bud,"  he  replied,  jokingly.  "Billy 
Sunday  is  nothing  but  a  clown  and  his  circus  per- 
formances here  will  not  amount  to  anything.  Let  him 
alone." 

UI  don't  know  about  that,"  said  the  other,  seriously. 
"I  have  reports  from  some  places  where  he  has  been 
and  he  is  a  dangerous  man.  After  his  campaigns 
cities  begin  to  'clean  up'  as  they  call  it,  and  we  want 
none  of  that  kind  of  Sunday-school  business  in  Bron- 
son." 

"Well,"  responded  the  lawyer,  "I  must  confess  I 
knew  nothing  about  it  until  it  had  all  been  practically 
arranged.  Our  new  man  at  the  Central  Church  seems 
to  be  at  the  head  of  the  movement." 

"I  never  liked  that  fellow,  Rutledge,"  said  McCrea. 
"He  is  one  of  those  confounded  preachers  who  think 
they  ought  to  be  interfering  with  everybody's  business. 
I  hear  he  has  slandered  the  fair  name  of  Bronson 
already." 

"He  did  preach  a  strong  temperance  sermon  lately, 
I  understand,"  said  the  lawyer,  "and  spoke  somewhat 
severely  about  our  saloon  regulations,  but  he  will  soon 
get  tired  of  that  kind  of  thing.  These  new  men  need 
to  be  given  a  little  liberty,  you  know." 

"Is  it  too  late  to  put  a  stop  to  this  'Sunday  cam- 
paign,' as  they  call  it?"  asked  McCrea  with  im- 
patience. 

"It  is  all  arranged  for,"  replied  the  other.  "I  don't 
see  what  can  be  done  now  to  stop  it.  The  churches 
and  ministers  seem  to  be  enthusiastic  about  it." 

"I'll  see  the  council  and  try  to  head  the  thing  off," 


PLANNING  AN  AWAKENING          105 

said  McCrea,  as  he  arose  to  go.     "The  visit  of  such 
a  grafter  as  Billy  Sunday  to  Bronson  is  a  disgrace." 

Bud  McCrea  emphasized  his  scorn  for  the  ex-base- 
ball champion  by  adding  an  oath  to  his  words  as  he 
left  the  room. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  SLEIGH-RIDE  PARTY 

The  day  after  his  triumph  at  the  Tourist  Club  was 
one  of  inner  conflict  and  discouragement  for  Reginald 
Nelson.  He  was  himself  astonished  at  the  place  which 
Joy  Graham  had  taken  in  his  life  and  he  wondered 
what  the  subtle  charm  was  which  seemed  to  bind  his 
life  to  hers.  Try  as  he  might  he  could  not  dismiss 
her  from  his  thoughts. 

"She  belongs  to  another  man,"  he  said  to  himself, 
sternly.  "I  have  no  more  right  to  see  her  hand  than 
if  she  were  already  married.  Ah,"  he  continued, 
groaning,  "what  is  wrong  with  me?  Am  I  going 
mad?" 

His  fellow  clerks  at  the  office  noticed  his  de- 
jected appearance,  but  could  not  guess  the  cause.  They 
thought  he  must  have  received  bad  news  of  some  kind 
and  they  did  not  trouble  him.  He  attended  to  the 
duties  of  the  office,  acting  as  secretary  to  the  agent, 
and  entering  way  bills  on  the  books,  but  his  mind  was 
not  on  his  work. 

At  first  he  thought  he  would  drop  all  connection  with 
the  Central  Church  and  give  up  both  the  choir  and 
Tourist  Club  in  order  that  he  might  not  be  compelled 
to  meet  Joy  Graham,  but  a  strange  fascination  drew 

106 


A  SLEIGH-RIDE  PARTY  107 

him  to  the  scenes  where  he  knew  he  must  suffer  anguish 
of  heart. 

"I  promised  Dr.  Rutledge  that  I  would  sing  in  the 
choir,"  he  said  to  himself,  decidedly.  "I  will  prove 
myself  a  man  by  attending  both  choir  practices  and  the 
meetings  of  the  Tourist  Club.  I  shall  make  a  friend 
of  Vivian  Derwent  and  Joy  Graham  will  never  know 
the  torture  that  she  has  caused  me." 

Accordingly,  during  the  next  few  weeks  Reginald 
and  Joy  met  again  and  again,  but  be  studiously  avoided 
her  as  much  as  he  could.  The  girl  at  once  noticed  his 
change  of  attitude  towards  her;  his  constraint  in  her 
presence;  and  the  efforts  he  took,  often  ill-concealed, 
to  avoid  her. 

Joy  Graham  was  greatly  grieved  at  his  conduct.  She 
imagined  that  in  some  way  she  had  offended  him,  and 
she  sought  to  be  more  friendly  than  ever. 

"Why  are  you  always  smiling  on  that  Englishman?" 
asked  Roland  Gregory  one  evening  at  the  close  of  a 
meeting  of  the  Tourist  Club,  as  he  was  escorting  Joy 
to  her  home.  There  was  a  tone  of  irritation  in  his 
voice. 

"I  did  not  know  I  had  been  smiling  on  him  so  very 
much,"  answered  the  girl  innocently,  "but  I  was  just 
now  thinking  what  has  gone  wrong  with  him  the  past 
few  weeks.  He  is  not  at  all  as  cheerful  as  he  was  at 
first.  I  am  sure  he  must  be  homesick." 

"Vivian  will  soon  take  the  homesickness  out  of  him," 
said  the  other  sneeringly.  "He  is  dancing  attendance 
on  her  night  and  day,  and  poor  George  Caldwell  is 


io8  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

distracted.  He  wishes  you  had  never  asked  the  fellow 
to  our  club." 

"How  rudely  you  talk,  Ronald,"  responded  the  girl, 
with  a  sudden  catch  in  her  breath.  "I  did  not  know 
he  was  dancing  attendance  on  Vivian  or  any  one  else." 

"They  are  all  talking  about  it,"  said  her  companion. 
"He  escorts  her  to  the  dormitory  on  every  possible  oc- 
casion. I  think  myself  he  is  making  a  fool  out  of 
Vivian." 

Joy  Graham  changed  the  subject,  wondering  why  she 
was  so  annoyed  at  hearing  of  the  immigrant's  atten- 
tion to  Vivian  Derwent. 

Long  after  midnight  that  evening  she  was  lying 
awake,  carrying  on  a  conversation  with  herself. 

"No  wonder  he  admires  Vivian,"  she  said  to  herself. 
"She  is  such  a  bright,  cheerful  girl,  and  he  needs  just 
such  companionship  as  hers,  but  I  some  way  cannot 
understand  why  he  avoids  me  as  he  does." 

She  recalled  to  mind  their  first  experiences  on  the 
boat  in  mid-Atlantic  and  she  remembered  how  strange- 
ly happy  she  was  in  his  company  from  the  very  first. 

"I  will  ask  him  some  time,"  she  finally  concluded, 
"what  is  the  reason  he  has  changed  so  much  in  his  at- 
titude to  his  old  boat  companion." 

She  smiled  in  the  darkness  as  she  remembered  some 
of  his  former  remarks  to  her  when  they  were  fellow 
travellers  on  the  ocean. 

However,  although  that  first  meeting  of  the  Tourist 
Club  which  Reginald  attended  had  brought  him  sad 
knowledge  and  intense  suffering,  it  also  changed  his 
whole  after  life  in  the  busines  world  in  a  remarkable 


A  SLEIGH-RIDE  PARTY  109 

way,  and  gave  him  a  place  in  Bronson  which  he  had 
coveted  from  the  first.  Thomas  Marchmount,  the  edi- 
tor of  the  Bronson  Courier,  noticed  in  the  "copy"  of 
his  city  reporter  an  account  of  the  address  of  Reginald. 
The  account  had  been  written  up  for  the  reporter  by 
Joy  Graham,  and  she  spoke  at  some  length  of  Regi- 
nald's arrival  in  Bronson,  and  of  his  splendid  address 
on  London  and  the  Londoners  before  the  Tourist  Club. 

"This  is  the  young  fellow  that  Mr.  Graham  spoke 
to  me  about,"  commented  the  editor,  as  he  read  the 
item.  "I  must  have  an  interview  with  him.  He  will 
probably  be  able  to  give  me  a  good  account  of  the  sit- 
uation in  England,  and  I  know  that  many  of  my  read- 
ers would  appreciate  a  good  article  on  that  subject  just 
now." 

Accordingly,  Mr.  Marchmount  wrote  a  note  to  the 
young  Englishman  asking  him  to  call  at  the  Courier 
office  that  evening.  Reginald  responded  with  pleasure 
and  met  Mr.  Marchmount  for  the  first  time. 

"I  am  much  pleased  to  meet  you,"  said  the  editor, 
greeting  his  visitor  with  much  cordiality.  "Mr.  Gra- 
ham has  been  telling  me  about  you.  I  understand  you 
have  recently  come  to  Bronson  from  England." 

"I  crossed  in  the  same  boat  with  Mr.  Graham's  fam- 
ily and  with  Mr.  Townley,"  responded  Reginald,  "and 
they  advised  me  to  begin  life  in  Bronson,  and  I  do 
not  think  I  have  made  a  mistake." 

"Right  you  are,  my  boy,"  said  the  other,  kindly, 
looking  with  interest  at  the  handsome  youth.  "You 
made  no  mistake  in  locating  in  this  city.  Do  you  like 
your  work  at  the  railroad  office?" 


no  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"Quite  well,  but  I  am  not  going  to  remain  a  railroad 
man." 

"What  are  your  plans  for  the  future?"  asked  Mr. 
Marchmount. 

"I  wish  to  enter  the  newspaper  world  at  the  first 
opportunity,"  replied  Reginald,  promptly.  "I  think  I 
will  be  able  to  succeed  best  in  your  own  profession." 

"Have  you  ever  tried  the  newspaper  work?"  in- 
quired the  other. 

"Just  a  little,"  Reginald  answered,  smilingly.  "I 
did  some  amateur  work  for  a  London  paper." 

"By  the  way,"  said  the  editor,  "I  wish  you  to  give 
me  an  interview  on  the  political  and  social  condition  of 
England  at  present.  Would  you  be  prepared  to  do 
that?" 

"Certainly;  I  will  gladly  give  you  the  interview  right 
now." 

Mr.  Marchmount  began  asking  Reginald  a  number 
of  questions  in  regard  to  different  aspects  of  English 
life,  with  which  he  seemed  to  be  somewhat  familiar, 
and  also  inquiring  about  distinguished  Englishmen. 
The  editor  was  surprised  at  the  readiness  with  which 
Reginald  answered  his  questions  and  the  full  informa- 
tion which  he  was  able  to  furnish. 

"What  do  the  English  people  think  of  the  Welsh 
statesman,  Lloyd  George?"  Mr.  Marchmount  asked 
during  the  interview. 

Reginald  answered  at  once  in  a  tone  of  enthusiasm: 
"He  is  the  great  hero  of  the  common  people  of  Eng- 
land at  this  hour.  They  hail  him  as  the  Garibaldi  of 
England.  His  popularity  and  influence  are  growing 


A  SLEIGH-RIDE  PARTY  in 

every  year,  and  he  is  proving  himself  the  great  modern 
statesman  of  Europe." 

"But  he  is  often  bitterly  criticised  by  a  portion  of 
the  English  press,"  interjected  Mr.  Marchmount. 

"The  aristocracy  fear  and  hate  the  man,"  responded 
Reginald,  with  a  gleam  in  his  eyes.  "No  man  knows 
better  than  I  do  how  bitter  is  their  hatred.  They  feel 
that  they  are  in  his  power  and  that  he  is  stripping  them 
of  their  ancient  monopolies  and  privileges,  and  they 
fail  to  understand  that  he  is  really  saving  England  from 
revolution  and  destruction." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  interview  Mr.  Marchmount 
said  abruptly,  "Would  you  be  in  a  position  to  accept  a 
place  on  the  Courier  staff  at  the  first  of  the  year?" 

"I  certainly  would,"  answered  Reginald,  enthusias- 
tically. "I  am  engaged  at  the  railroad  office  for  no 
definite  time,  and  a  few  weeks'  notice  will  be  sufficient 
in  case  I  desire  to  leave." 

"I  will  need  a  city  reporter  at  the  beginning  of  the 
New  Year,"  said  Mr.  Marchmount,  and  I  think  you 
are  just  the  young  man  I  want." 

Reginald  went  home  overjoyed.  For  a  little  while 
he  forgot  his  disappointment  in  regard  to  Joy  Graham, 
and  his  spirits  rose  once  more. 

"Congratulate  me,  Mrs.  Cameron,"  he  exclaimed, 
entering  the  Cameron  home.  "I  have  accepted  a  place 
on  the  Courier  and  I  begin  my  newspaper  work  the  first 
of  the  year." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cameron  were  delighted  at  the  news, 
for  they  had  already  begun  to  look  on  the  immigrant 
more  as  a  son  than  as  a  lodger. 


H2  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"I  don't  think  you  liked  the  work  at  the  railroad 
office,"  said  Mrs.  Cameron.  "I  have  noticed  how  dis- 
couraged you  were  all  day  to-day." 

The  weeks  passed  rapidly.  The  first  snow  fell  in 
Bronson  that  year  on  Thanksgiving  Day  at  the  end  of 
November.  The  biting  cold  of  a  Michigan  winter  was 
a  new  experience  to  the  Englishman,  but  the  warm 
blood  of  youth  made  the  arctic  weather  delightful  to 
Reginald. 

About  the  middle  of  December  Vivian  Derwent 
called  at  the  freight  office  to  see  him.  She  and  Reg- 
inald were  now  warm  friends,  and  he  felt  a  freedom 
in  her  company  which  gave  him  relief  during  those 
days  of  struggle  as  he  was  trying  to  kill  out  of  his 
heart  his  devotion  to  Joy  Graham. 

After  the  greetings  were  over  Vivian  began  enthusi- 
astically, "Oh,  Mr.  Nelson,  a  number  of  the  members 
of  the  Tourist  Club  are  going  on  a  real  trip  to-morrow 
night.  My  father  and  mother  want  me  to  bring  out  a 
sleigh  load  to  our  home,  and  we  will  have  a  supper 
there  Can  you  come?" 

"A  sleigh-ride?"  said  Reginald,  perplexed.  "What 
do  you  mean?" 

"Oh,  I  forgot  you  never  had  a  sleigh-ride  before," 
said  the  girl,  laughing.  "We  get  a  big  hay  rack  and 
put  a  lot  of  hay  in  it,  and  then  fill  it  up  with  robes  and 
furs,  and  we  pile  in  and  have  the  jolliest  time.  You 
will  come,  won't  you?" 

"It  is  six  miles  out  to  your  home,  isn't  it?"  said  the 
other. 

"Yes,  that's  the  worst  of  it.    I  wish  it  were  twelve." 


A  SLEIGH-RIDE  PARTY  113 

"I  don't  think  I  would  care  to  ride  more  than  six 
miles  in  a  hay  rack  with  the  weather  as  cold  as  it  is 
now." 

"You  won't  mind  the  cold.  I  will  get  a  fur  coat  for 
you,  and  we  will  have  a  lot  of  robes.  Roland  and  Joy 
are  coming  and  nearly  all  the  members  of  the  Tourist 
Club." 

"I  will  surely  be  glad  to  go,"  said  Reginald.  "I 
have  been  wanting  to  visit  your  home  and  meet  your 
father  and  mother." 

"And  they  are  just  dying  to  see  you,"  said  the  girl. 
"I  have  been  telling  them  about  my  Englishman." 

The  next  evening  a  gay  party  left  Bronson  in  a  large 
hay  rack  on  a  sleigh-ride  to  Vivian  Derwent's  country 
home.  It  was  a  rare  winter  night,  with  a  clear  moon 
shining  in  silvery  splendor,  and  the  twinkling  stars 
glowing  like  patines  of  pure  gold  in  the  azure  vault  of 
heaven.  A  blanket  of  snowy  whiteness  covered  the  en- 
tire landscape,  the  dark  patches  of  woods  variegating 
the  scene.  On  the  road  the  snow  was  packed  by  the 
constant  travel  of  the  sleighs  driving  to  and  from  town, 
and  the  four  horses  drawing  the  loaded  hay  rack  trot- 
ted along  merrily,  their  sleigh-bells  jingling  joyously. 
In  seating  themselves  it  had  happened  that  Vivian  and 
Reginald  sat  opposite  Roland  and  Joy,  Reginald  being 
next  the  driver.  "What  a  glorious  night  for  our  ride  I" 
said  Joy,  looking  up  at  the  radiant  moon. 

"You're  moonstruck,"  responded  Vivian,  irrever- 
ently. 

"We  have  no  such  joys  as  sleigh-rides  like  this  in 


1 14  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

England,"  said  Reginald.  "I  never  knew  before  what 
the  joy  of  winter  was." 

"We  have  everything  that's  good  in  Michigan,  don't 
we,  Joy?"  said  Roland  Gregory. 

"Wait  till  we  get  home,"  interposed  Vivian  Der- 
went,  "and  you  will  all  have  something  good,  I  tell  you. 
Mama  is  going  to  give  us  real  oyster  soup  just  like 
mother  used  to  make. 

Just  then  a  shrill  whistle  sounded  through  the  night 
air,  and  the  company  was  silent.  In  the  distance  could 
be  heard  the  thunder  of  the  limited  express  from  New 
York  to  Chicago,  which  rushed  through  this  part  of 
southern  Michigan  on  its  western  journey.  For  several 
miles  at  the  point  where  the  sleighing  party  was  jin- 
gling along  the  wagon  road  paralleled  the  rails,  and 
Reginald  noticed  that  the  driver  took  a  fresh  grip  on 
the  lines  with  which  he  controlled  his  double  team  when 
he  heard  the  engine's  warning  whistle. 

"Are  the  horses  afraid?"  asked  Reginald,  address- 
ing the  driver. 

"Three  of  them  are  all  right,  but  that  front  off  horse 
is  a  little  panicky  when  the  cars  pass  close  to  her,"  said 
the  driver.  "On  a  night  like  this  any  horse  feels  good, 
and  they  will  likely  pull  hard  on  the  bits  when  the  train 
passes  us." 

"There  it  comes,"  shouted  Vivian,  as  the  gleaming 
electric  headlight  swung  around  a  curve  a  mile  or  so  be- 
hind them. 

"Look,  Mr.  Nelson,  look,"  exclaimed  Joy  Graham, 
excitedly.  "Does  not  that  make  a  great  sight?" 

Reginald  had  been  watching  the  horses  closely,  anx- 


A  SLEIGH-RIDE  PARTY  115 

ious  to  assist  the  driver,  if  possible,  in  case  assistance 
were  necessary,  but  at  Joy's  exclamation  he  turned  to 
see  the  oncoming  train. 

Roaring  like  Niagara,  the  electric  headlight  blinding 
them  with  its  gleams,  the  great  mogul  engine,  with  its 
long  train  of  Pullmans,  was  just  behind  them  as  Regi- 
nald turned.  The  brilliantly  lighted  coaches,  full  of 
passengers,  rolled  swiftly  past. 

"Whoa!  Whoa!"  the  driver  of  the  hay  rack  was 
shouting  in  excited  tones  to  his  startled  teams.  The 
"panicky"  horse  was  thoroughly  frightened,  and  the 
others  were  dashing  along  the  road  at  breakneck  speed. 

"Whoa!  Whoa!" 

The  only  words  heard  were  the  cries  of  the  driver. 
The  whole  company  sat  still,  looking  forward  at  the 
plunging  horses,  while  beyond  the  red  lights  at  the 
rear  of  the  limited  express  were  fading  from  view. 

The  four  horses  were  now  running  at  full  speed 
along  the  highway.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  see  the 
road  stretched,  straight  and  broad,  but  the  driver  knew 
there  was  a  sharp  curve  a  couple  of  miles  ahead  where 
the  road  crossed  the  railroad  track,  and  he  struggled  to 
regain  his  control. 

Reginald  Nelson  arose  to  his  feet  and  climbed  up  on 
the  driver's  seat.  The  vehicle  swayed  from  side  to 
side,  and  the  girls  were  getting  frightened. 

"Give  me  the  reins  to  the  front  team,"  said  Regi- 
nald, getting  a  firm  hold  with  his  feet  on  the  footboard 
of  the  driver's  seat.  He  reached  over  and  grasped  the 
lines  controlling  the  two  front  horses,  leaving  the  driver 
free  to  manage  the  second  team. 


1 1 6  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

The  frightened  horses  seemed  to  know  that  a  strong 
hand  had  taken  the  reins  as  soon  as  Reginald  grasped 
them.  "Steady!"  he  shouted,  pulling  stronger  and 
stronger  on  the  heavy  leather  lines.  "We'll  soon  quiet 
them  now,"  he  said  to  the  driver,  as  the  horses  slack- 
ened a  little  in  their  mad  pace.  Half  a  mile  farther  on 
the  two  men  were  able  to  bring  the  teams  to  a  full  stop, 
and  Reginald  climbed  down  to  his  place  under  the  robes 
beside  Vivian  Derwent. 

"Where  did  you  learn  to  drive  wild  horses?"  asked 
Joy  Graham,  drawing  a  long  breath. 

"That  was  jolly,"  responded  the  Englishman.  "It 
makes  me  think  of  my  boyhood  days." 

The  company  became  gayer  than  ever.  All  thought 
of  their  recent  fright  was  banished,  and  they  sang  to- 
gether merry  songs. 

"There's  our  home,"  suddenly  exclaimed  Vivian, 
pointing  to  a  large  farmhouse  on  a  hill  to  the  left.  In 
a  few  moments  they  drove  merrily  into  the  yard. 

"Welcome,  my  young  friends,"  said  a  stout  farmer, 
well  muffled  and  gloved,  who  met  them  with  a  lantern 
in  his  hand.  "Where  are  you,  Vivian?" 

"Here,  father,"  said  the  girl,  leaping  from  the  side 
of  the  hay  rack,  and  running  up  to  him.  "We  had  the 
jolliest  sleigh-ride." 

Vivian  introduced  the  visitors  to  her  father,  who 
then  took  charge  of  the  horses,  and  the  girl  led  the  way 
to  the  house.  Mrs.  Derwent  and  Vivian's  younger  sis- 
ters and  brothers  were  awaiting  them,  and  they  were 
soon  seated  in  the  warm,  roomy  parlor  of  the  farm- 
house. 


A  SLEIGH -RIDE  PARTY  117 

In  a  few  moments  they  were  summoned  to  the  din- 
ing room,  and  entertained  with  the  hot  oyster  soup,  of 
which  Vivian  had  boasted.  Every  one  was  in  high 
humor,  and  gladness  and  mirth  reigned  supreme.  Viv- 
ian assisted  her  mother  in  serving  the  guests.  George 
Caldwell,  whose  partner  was  a  classmate  of  Vivian's 
at  the  Normal  School,  was  telling  of  the  frightened 
horses  and  their  mad  race  after  the  limited  express. 

"Mr.  Nelson,  I  thought  sure  you  would  fall  over 
when  you  were  climbing  on  that  seat  with  the  horses 
running  as  they  were." 

"It  was  nothing,"  answered  Reginald.  "I  looked 
for  the  horses  to  get  excited,  and  I  had  figured  out  be- 
forehand how  I  would  give  the  driver  a  little  assist- 
ance." 

Just  then  Reginald  looked  across  the  table  to  where 
Roland  Gregory  and  Joy  Graham  sat  side  by  side. 
The  girl's  eyes  met  his,  and  he  imagined  he  could  see 
a  strange  pain  in  them,  a  hunger  which  thrilled  him,  a 
longing  which  enraptured  him. 

"We  are  all  glad  to  know  of  your  new  position  on 
the  Courier  staff,"  she  said,  quietly.  "You  are  to  be 
city  reporter,  are  you  not?" 

As  she  was  speaking  Reginald  was  saying  to  him- 
self, "I  wonder  if  she  really  cares  for  me." 

"Yes,"  he  answered,  absent-mindedly. 

"Don't  you  think  that  will  be  a  splendid  position  for 
Mr.  Nelson?"  continued  the  girl,  turning  to  her  part- 
ner, Roland  Gregory,  with  a  smile. 

Reginald  turned  his  head  away  in  his  disappoint- 


1 1 8  THE  FISION  OF  JO  Y 

ment.  "Fool,"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "Fool,  to 
dream  of  one  who  is  already  pledged." 

"When  do  the  Sunday  meetings  begin?" 

Reginald  awoke  out  of  his  brown  study  to  hear  Joy 
Graham  asking  him  this  question.  The  subject  inter- 
ested him,  and  he  answered  at  once,  "On  the  first  of 
February.  I  am  going  to  Illinois  early  in  January  to 
visit  the  town  where  he  is  now  conducting  a  campaign. 
I  will  write  a  special  account  of  his  work  there  for  the 
Courier." 

"How  interesting,"  responded  Joy.  "I  expect  you 
will  also  be  busy  reporting  his  meetings  when  he  is  in 
Bronson?" 

"We  are  going  to  devote  whole  pages  every  day  to 
his  campaign,"  said  Reginald.  "Mr.  Marchmount  be- 
lieves in  Billy  Sunday." 

"I  think  it  is  a  mistake  to  bring  that  fellow  to  a  town 
like  Bronson,"  interposed  Roland  Gregory.  "He  is  all 
right  amongst  ignorant  Westerners,  but  in  a  cultured 
city  like  Bronson  his  meetings  are  an  insult." 

Neither  Reginald  nor  Joy  made  any  response  to  this 
assault  on  the  ex-baseball  champion  in  his  role  as  evan- 
gelist, but  after  a  moment's  silence  Reginald  said 
quietly,  "Dr.  Rutledge  is  responsible  for  bringing  Mr. 
Sunday  to  Bronson." 

"It  is  not  to  Rutledge's  credit,"  said  Roland  Greg- 
ory, with  a  frown. 

"Now,  now,  Roland,  wait  until  you  hear  Mr.  Sunday 
yourself  before  you  condemn  him."  Joy  Graham  spoke 
the  words  playfully,  and  the  conversation  changed  to 
other  channels. 


A  SLEIGH-RIDE  PARTY  119 

After  the  oyster  supper  the  company  entertained 
themselves  for  an  hour  or  more  singing  and  playing 
games.  During  the  evening  Reginald  took  advantage 
of  a  little  lull  to  make  his  way  into  the  kitchen,  where 
he  found  Vivian's  father  sitting  reading  a  newspaper. 

"Don't  you  want  to  come  and  join  the  young  folks 
in  their  games?"  asked  Reginald. 

"No,  my  boy,"  answered  the  farmer,  laying  down 
his  newspaper.  "I  am  getting  too  old  for  those  capers, 
but  I  like  to  see  those  youngsters  have  a  good  time. 
Tears  to  me,  Mr.  Nelson,  my  Vivian  said  you  were 
from  England." 

"Yes,  I  am  proud  to  claim  England  as  my  birthplace, 
and  I  think  it  is  an  honor  to  be  born  in  the  second-best 
country  under  the  sun." 

"Right  you  are,  my  boy,"  replied  Mr.  Derwent,  jo- 
vially. "My  own  father  came  from  the  North  of  Ire- 
land when  he  was  a  boy.  He  settled  in  old  Vermont, 
and  I  grew  up  there,  but  I  was  lucky  enough  to  come 
west  when  I  was  a  young  man." 

"Vermont  is  a  famous  New  England  State,"  said 
Reginald.  "I  have  often  heard  of  the  Vermont  peo- 
ple." 

"They  are  a  fine  kind  of  Yankees,"  responded  the 
other,  "and  I  love  old  Vermont.  I  am  going  back  on 
a  visit  in  a  year  or  two.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  two 
Vermont  farmers  who  met  one  day  and  one  said  to  the 
other,  short-like :  'Bill,  what  did  you  give  your  horse 
last  winter  when  he  had  the  episeudics?'  'Turpentine,' 
answered  Bill.  That  was  all  was  said  that  day.  A 


120  FISIONS  OF  JOY 

week  later  they  met  and  they  greeted  each  other  again: 
'Say,  Bill,  what  did  you  say  you  gave  your  horse  last 
winter  when  it  had  the  episeudics?'  'Turpentine/  said 
the  other.  'So  did  I,  Bill,  but  mine  died.'  'Mine  died, 
too,'  said  the  other,  and  they  parted. 

Both  Reginald  and  Mr.  Derwent  laughed  at  this  tale 
of  the  Vermont  farmer,  and  the  two  men  soon  got  on 
familiar  terms.  Their  conversation  was  suddenly  in- 
terrupted by  Vivian  rushing  into  the  kitchen  and  ad- 
dressing them,  "What  are  you  two  folks  doing  out 
here.  Come  into  the  parlor.  We  want  you  to  play 
the  violin  for  us,  Mr.  Nelson." 

"No,  no,"  he  answered,  "I  can't  play  to-night,  but  I 
will  sing  a  song  if  the  company  want  it." 

Entering  the  parlor,  Reginald  sang  a  new  popular 
air  which  he  had  picked  up  on  the  boat  during  his  pas- 
sage, entitled,  "I  Love  a  Lassie." 

It  was  intensely  popular  with  the  company,  and  an 
encore  was  called  for. 

Then  Reginald  turned  to  Joy  Graham  and  asked  her 
to  play  for  him  the  music  of  her  own  song,  "A  Little 
Bit  of  Love."  He  sang  the  piece  to  the  gay  young  peo- 
ple with  a  pathos  and  feeling  which  made  Joy  Graham 
understand  that  although  Reginald  mingled  with  the 
laughing  throng  his  heart  was  too  much  in  sympathy 
with  humanity  in  its  stern  struggles  to  enter  wholly 
into  life's  frivolities. 

As  they  left  the  farmhouse  for  their  return  trip  to 
Bronson,  Mr.  Derwent  shook  Reginald's  hand  heartily 
and  asked  him  to  come  out  and  see  him  again  and  Regi- 
nald promised  that  he  would. 


A  SLEIGH -RIDE  PARTY  121 

Just  before  getting  into  the  hay-rack  Reginald  and 
Joy  happened  to  find  themselves  standing  together 
apart  from  the  rest.  The  girl  turned  to  him  and  said 
earnestly,  "Mr.  Nelson,  I  hope  I  have  not  offended  you 
at  any  time,  have  I  ?" 

"Not  at  all,  Miss  Joy,"  he  answered,  quickly. 
"Why  do  you  ask?" 

"Because  you  do  not  treat  me  as  you  used  to  do  when 
we  were  fellow  passengers  on  the  Neptune." 

Just  then  they  began  climbing  into  the  hay-rick  and 
in  the  noise  and  confusion  Joy  did  not  hear  Reginald's 
reply.  He  thought  she  had  heard  it  and  more  than 
once  he  said  bitterly  to  himself,  "I  wish  I  had  not  told 
her,  I  wish  I  had  not  told  her.  I  am  an  idiot." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

IN  THE  COURIER  OFFICE. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Nelson.  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
arrive  at  your  desk  so  promptly  each  day.  There  is 
some  tragedy  in  the  north  part  of  town  reported  this 
morning.  I  wish  you  would  investigate  at  once." 

Thomas  Marchmount  spoke  these  words  one  day  to 
Reginald  Nelson  about  a  week  after  he  had  begun  his 
work  on  the  staff  of  the  Courier.  The  new  city  re- 
porter had  already  developed  the  Athenian  character- 
istic, so  essential  to  a  newspaper  man,  of  grasping  at 
anything  that  looked  like  "news"  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments he  was  on  the  street  car  bound  for  the  north  part 
of  the  city.  It  needed  little  enquiry  for  him  to  find  the 
home  where  the  tragedy  had  happened  as  the  entire 
neighborhood  was  alive  with  the  excitement  of  the  oc- 
currence. 

"Shure,  an  it's  too  bad,  entoirely,"  an  Irish  woman 
explained,  when  Reginald  approached  the  first  group 
he  came  to,  and  asked  what  had  happened.  A  num- 
ber of  women  were  standing  on  the  sidewalk,  with 
all  kinds  of  wraps  around  them  to  protect  them  from 
the  cold,  discussing  the  sad  news. 

122 


IN  THE  CO  URIER  OFFICE  1 23 

"What  is  it  that  has  happened?"  asked  Reginald.  "I 
am  the  city  reporter  for  the  Courier  and  I  wish  to  get 
the  news?" 

In  the  minds  of  the  humble  denizens  of  that  part 
of  the  city  a  newspaper  man  was  a  person  of  import- 
ance, and  the  Irish  woman  made  a  courtesy  to  the 
young  reporter,  and  answered:  "An'  haven't  you  heard 
it  yet?  Shure  and  it's  poor  Mae,  the  purty  girl;  she's 
dead. 

"Dead?"  responded  Reginald.    "How  did  she  die?" 

"Ach,"  responded  the  other,  pulling  her  shawl  up 
around  her  head  and  shivering  in  the  wind,  "there  was 
some  rascal  back  o'  it,  but  loike  as  not  they'll  never 
catch  him.  Her  poor  mither  is  heart-broke." 

The  women  began  to  separate,  their  curiosity  and 
sympathy  in  the  case  being  mastered  by  the  wintry 
blasts  of  a  January  morning.  Reginald  went  to  the 
door  of  the  cottage  and  knocked.  At  first  there  was  no 
response,  and  the  young  man  looked  around  as  he 
waited.  The  cottage  in  which  the  tragedy,  whatever  it 
might  be,  had  taken  place  was  one  of  three  cottages 
built  side  by  side,  each  exactly  a  copy  of  the  other. 
The  houses  in  that  neighborhood  were  occupied  almost 
entirely  by  the  workers  in  the  large  factories  near  by, 
and  were  all  small  and  cheaply  built.  After  waiting 
a  few  moments  Reginald  knocked  louder  and  a  woman 
about  middle  age,  with  eyes  red  from  weeping  came 
to  the  door. 

"I  represent  the  Courier,"  said  the  reporter,  step- 
ping inside,  and  speaking  in  a  low  tone  of  voice.  "I 
have  called  to  get  the  details  of  the  death  of  the  girl." 


124  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

Low  as  he  spoke  a  woman  sitting  near  a  small  stove 
in  the  room  overheard  him.  Her  face  was  the  picture 
of  despair;  she  was  wringing  her  hands;  tears  were 
silently  coursing  down  her  cheeks. 

"Oh,  my  God,  my  God,  will  the  world  know  the 
shame  of  my  poor  Mae?"  she  shrieked,  as  she  heard 
the  newspaper  man  make  his  enquiry.  "Oh,  Mae,  why 
did  you  do  it?  Why  did  you  do  it?" 

Two  or  three  other  women  who  were  in  the  house 
came  to  the  side  of  the  distracted  woman  and  sought 
to  soothe  her.  The  woman  who  had  admitted  Regi- 
nald stood  hesitatingly,  not  knowing  whether  to  ask 
him  to  leave  or  not.  The  young  Englishman  was 
greatly  moved  at  the  woman's  agony  and  stepped  at 
once  to  her  side,  saying,  "I  beg  your  pardon  for  in- 
truding on  your  grief.  I  assure  you  it  is  with  no  wish 
to  aggravate  your  distress,  but  your  friends  and  neigh- 
bors will  want  to  know  just  what  has  happened  and  so 
I  have  come  here  to  find  out  the  truth." 

He  spoke  in  a  kind,  sympathetic  voice,  seating  riim- 
self  on  a  vacant  chair  beside  the  stricken  woman  and 
looking  at  her  sadly.  She  covered  her  face  with  her 
hands  and  wept  hysterically  for  a  few  moments.  Then 
she  became  calmer. 

"How  old  was  your  daughter?"  Reginald  asked, 
after  a  pause. 

The  woman  made  an  effort  to  control  herself  as  she 
answered:  "Twenty-one,  just  twenty-one  on  her  last 
birthday." 

"Tell  me  how  it  happened."  Reginald  took  out  his 
note-book  and  pencil  as  he  asked  the  question  and 


77V  THE  COURIER  OFFICE  125 

looked  enquiringly  at  the  mother.  To  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  others  who  were  present,  Reginald's  pres- 
ence and  his  questions  seemed  to  give  relief  to  the 
woman.  She  began  to  tell  her  story  in  a  shaking  voice, 
but  her  tones  became  firmer  as  she  proceeded. 

"Mae  went  to  work  yesterday  just  as  usual,"  she  be- 
gan, wiping  her  eyes  with  her  apron.  "She  looked 
as  well  as  she  ever  did,  and  I  thought  to  myself  as 
she  went  out  of  the  door  that  there  wasn't  a  nicer  or 
prettier  girl  in  Bronson  than  my  Mae."  Here  the 
mother's  voice  weakened  somewhat,  but  she  braced  her- 
self and  continued:  "When  she  came  home  in  the  even- 
ing it  was  later  than  usual  and  I  asked  her  what  kept 
her  so  late." 

"Where  did  she  work?"  asked  Reginald. 

"At  the  Gregory  factory." 

There  was  a  pause  and  then  the  woman  proceeded: 

"She  told  me  she  had  a  bad  headache  and  that  she 
would  not  take  any  supper,  and  soon  after  she  went  to 
bed.  In  a  little  while  I  heard  her  groaning,  and  I  came 
into  her  room  and  she  was  lying  in  bed  in  great  pain. 
I  asked  her  what  was  wrong  and  she  said,  in  such  a 
frightened  way :  'I  took  a  pill  for  my  headache,  mother, 
and  I  just  feel  awful.'  I  called  the  doctor  at  once  and 
he  came  in  a  little  while  and  said  she  was  poisoned." 

"What  doctor  did  you  call?"  enquired  Reginald. 

"Dr.  Gracely,"  answered  the  other.  "He  did  every- 
thing he  could,  but  all  he  could  do  was  to  give  her 
opiates  to  quiet  her  pain.  She  suffered  terribly.  She 
didn't  think  she  was  going  to  die  at  all  at  first  and  kept 
saying  she  would  soon  feel  better,  but  as  the  night  wen- 


126  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

on  she  got  worse,  and  then  she  saw  how  sick  she  was 
she  tried  to  tell  me  something,  but  it  was  too  late.  I 
couldn't  understand  her.  Poor  child,  poor  child !" 

The  mother  broke  down  utterly  as  she  repeated  these 
words,  and  Reginald  decided  to  leave.  Just  then  the 
door  opened,  and  several  men  entered. 

"Come  in,  Dr.  Gracely,"  said  one  of  the  women  to 
the  first  man  who  entered. 

"This  is  the  coroner's  jury,"  said  the  doctor,  in  a 
gentle  tone  of  voice,  pointing  to  his  companions.  "They 
wish  to  examine  the  body." 

Going  to  a  little  side  room,  one  of  the  women  led  the 
way  to  the  side  of  the  bed  on  which  the  body  lay. 
Reverently  the  white  sheet  was  lifted  from  the  face. 
Reginald  had  followed  the  others  to  the  door  and  he 
looked  at  the  beautiful  features  of  the  dead  girl  with 
absorbing  interest.  Slight  traces  of  the  suffering  caused 
by  the  poison  remained,  but  so  fair  and  quiet  was  her 
repose  that  she  looked  as  if  only  asleep. 

"You  will  make  a  thorough  examination,  of  course, 
Dr.  Gracely,"  said  one  of  the  men,  turning  to  the 
doctor. 

"We  will  do  that  this  morning,  sir,"  replied  the  doc- 
tor. 

"We  will  meet  after  dinner,  then,"  said  the  other, 
turning  to  leave  the  room. 

Before  returning  to  the  Courier  office  Reginald 
visited  the  Gregory  factory  to  learn  what  he  could  re- 
garding the  girl.  When  he  called  at  the  office  he  found 
that  Roland  Gregory  had  not  yet  arrived  at  the  fac- 
tory, but  he  received  permission  to  interrogate  some 


IN  THE  COURIER  OFFICE  127 

of  the  girls  who  worked  alongside  of  the  unfortunate 
Mae. 

The  girls  at  the  factory  had  evidently  heard  of  the 
tragedy  and  they  were  much  moved  at  the  sudden  death 
of  their  fellow  worker.  At  the  factory  Reginald 
learned  additional  details.  The  full  name  of  the  girl 
was  Mae  Mobray.  She  and  her  mother  had  come 
from  a  small  neighboring  town  to  Bronson  about  two 
years  before,  and  the  girl  had  worked  since  that  time 
in  the  Gregory  factory.  She  had  not  complained  to 
the  other  girls  on  the  previous  day  and  the  news  of 
the  tragedy  had  shocked  them  all. 

In  the  afternoon  Reginald  attended  the  inquest.  Dr. 
Gracely  made  a  full  report  of  the  examination.  Death 
had  been  caused  by  poison,  evidently  self-administered. 

"There  was  a  sad  reason  for  the  rash  act  of  the 
girl,"  said  the  doctor.  "Her  condition  proves  that 
some  of  the  charges  recently  made  in  regard  to  abuses 
in  factories  employing  women  and  girls  are  true.  If 
only  the  death  of  Mae  Mobray  could  arouse  public 
sentiment  to  the  absolute  necessity  of  public  control  of 
such  industries  the  poor  girl  has  not  died  in  vain." 

The  words  of  Dr.  Gracely  made  a  profound  impres- 
sion on  Reginald  Nelson,  and  in  his  account  of  the 
tragedy  in  the  Courier  he  quoted  the  words  of  the  doc- 
tor, writing  up  the  story  in  such  a  vivid  manner  that 
for  a  number  of  days  the  tragedy  was  the  chief  topic 
of  conversation. 

Unable  to  forget  the  desolate  home  of  the  widowed 
and  childless  Mrs.  Mobray,  Reginald  also  called  the  at- 
tention of  Allan  Rutledge  to  the  sad  case,  and  the 


128  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

minister  promptly  arranged  to  provide  for  the  helpless 
woman  until  a  permanent  home  for  her  could  be  found. 

The  week  following  Reginald  departed  for  the  Illi- 
nois town  where  Billy  Sunday  was  closing  a  campaign. 
The  young  Englishman  was  delighted  with  this  assign- 
ment as  he  was  anxious  to  meet  the  baseball  champion, 
of  whom  Allan  Rutledge  had  told  him  much,  and  he 
also  was  pleased  to  travel  farther  West  in  the  New 
World. 

He  spent  a  day  in  Chicago  on  the  way,  and  mar- 
velled to  see  that  mighty  city  which  in  less  than  forty 
years  had  arisen  from  its  ashes,  a  veritable  Phoenix. 

Arriving  at  his  destination  in  the  evening  he  made 
his  way  to  the  immense  tabernacle  where  the  far-famed 
evangelist  was  proclaiming  his  gospel.  He  found  the 
huge  building  crowded  to  the  doors,  and  an  immense 
audience  listening  breathlessly  to  the  words  of  the  ex- 
champion.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  a  large  number 
of  men  and  women  went  forward  to  acknowledge  pub- 
licly their  resolution  to  henceforth  lead  Christian  lives. 

The  next  morning  Reginald  interviewed  Mr.  Sunday 
personally.  As  soon  as  the  evangelist  knew  that  Regi- 
nald was  the  city  reporter  of  the  Bronson  Courier,  he 
gave  the  young  Englishman  a  most  hearty  reception. 

"Glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Nelson,"  he  exclaimed. 
"How  is  my  friend,  Rutledge,  getting  along  in  Bron- 
son?" 

Reginald  explained  in  what  high  regard  the  Iowa 
minister  was  held  and  told  of  the  purpose  of  his  own 
visit. 

"I  suppose  the  Bronson    devil    is    getting    a    little 


LV  THE  COURIER  OFFICE  129 

nervous,"  said  Mr.  Sunday,  with  a  laugh.  "He  gen- 
erally gets  stirred  up  when  he  hears  I  am  hiking  his 
way." 

Reginald  assured  the  evangelist  that  ample  prepara- 
tions were  being  made  and  that  he  could  depend  on  a 
welcome  to  the  Michigan  city. 

"Our  paper,  The  Courier,  is  planning  to  give  you 
full  space  every  day  while  you  are  in  Bronson,"  con- 
tinued Reginald. 

"The  power  of  the  press  to-day  is  a  marvel,"  replied 
Mr.  Sunday,  speaking  earnestly.  "The  newspapers  are 
helping  me  save  men  right  along.  I  cannot  be  too 
thankful  for  the  support  they  have  given  me." 

"You  are  a  paying  proposition  for  the  newspapers," 
responded  Reginald,  smilingly. 

"You  bet,"  answered  the  other,  promptly.  "You 
can  look  for  hundreds  of  new  subscribers  to  the 
Courier  as  soon  as  I  get  to  Bronson.  I  tell  you,  Mr. 
Nelson,  it  pays  a  newspaper  as  well  as  a  man  to  serve 
Jesus  Christ." 

During  the  day  Reginald  interviewed  prominent 
citizens  of  the  place  in  regard  to  the  Sunday  campaign. 
From  the  mayor  of  the  city  down  to  the  constable  he 
found  the  verdict  practically  unanimous  in  the  evangel- 
ist's favor.  Many  of  them  had  been  suspicious  at  first, 
but  the  results  of  the  meetings  proved  their  value. 

"The  only  people  who  are  complaining  now,"  said 
a  leading  dry  goods  merchant,  "are  the  saloon  men 
and  the  theatres.  The  saloons  are  losing  thousands  of 
dollars  every  week,  but  their  loss  is  the  people's  gain." 

On  his  return  to  Bronson  Reginald  wrote  an  account 


130  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

of  his  visit  to  Illinois,  describing  the  Sunday  tabernacle, 
the  great  crowds,  and  the  views  of  leading  citizens  in 
regard  to  the  evangelist  and  his  campaign. 

"Mr.  Sunday  will  arrive  in  Bronson  in  two  weeks 
and  will  begin  the  purging  of  our  city,"  was  the  closing 
sentence. 

The  day  following  the  publication  of  Reginald's  visit 
to  the  West,  Joy  Graham  was  walking  along  the  main 
street  of  Bronson  when  she  met  him  face  to  face." 

"I  have  been  wanting  to  see  you,"  she  exclaimed,  ex- 
tending her  hand  to  him  as  they  met.  "I  want  to  con- 
gratulate you  on  that  account  of  your  interview  with 
Mr.  Sunday  in  Illinois.  I  saw  Dr.  Rutledge  to-day, 
and  he  is  very  highly  pleased  with  your  description  of 
his  friend  and  his  work." 

Reginald  Nelson  blushed  and  stammered.  He  had 
not  talked  alone  with  the  girl  since  the  evening  of  the 
sleigh-ride  when  he  had  told  her  in  a  few  brief,  burning 
words  why  his  attitude  towards  her  had  changed.  She 
did  not  hear  what  he  said,  but  he  imagined  she  had 
heard  it  all,  and  he  wondered  at  her  unaffected  manner 
toward  him,  and  the  genuine  pleasure  that  gleamed  in 
her  dark  eyes  as  she  greeted  him. 

They  had  met  at  a  corner  and  she  pointed  across  the 
street  and  asked  if  he  was  going  that  way. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  stammeringly. 

"I  don't  think  you  know  where  you  are  gofng,"  she 
responded,  smiling  at  him.  His  resolution  to  keep  at 
a  distance  from  her  vanished  into  thin  air.  He  forgot 
he  had  ever  made  any  such  resolution.  He  simply  knew 
that  Joy  Graham,  smiling  and  beautiful,  was  at  his  side, 


IN  THECOURIER  OFFICE  131 

and  he  walked  along  with  her  talking  and  laughing  just 
as  he  did  on  the  days  of  their  first  acquaintance  on 
board  the  Neptune. 

"Your  visit  to  Mr.  Sunday  has  done  you  a  lot  of 
good,"  she  said,  shyly,  after  they  had  walked  together 
for  a  few  blocks. 

"I  feel  sure  that  Mr.  Sunday's  visit  to  Bronson  will 
do  this  city  good,"  he  answered,  not  understanding  just 
what  she  meant. 

"I  have  no  doubt  of  that,"  she  replied,  "but  I  re- 
ferred to  your  own  attitude  towards  me.  You  have  not 
been  a  bit  cordial  to  me  for  a  long  time." 

Her  words  brought  a  twinge  of  conscience  to  Regi- 
nald, but  he  gave  himself  up  to  the  happiness  of  the 
moment  and  answered,  "You  must  excuse  a  rude  Eng- 
lishman. You  know  we  have  been  called  a  nation  of 
rude  boors." 

"I  never  heard  of  it,"  she  responded,  "and  I  want  to 
brand  such  an  accusation  as  a  base  slander." 

The  two  young  people  laughed  gaily.  Reginald  was 
feeling  happier  than  he  had  been  since  the  fatal  night 
when  he  attended  his  first  meeting  of  the  Tourist  Club, 
when  suddenly  they  were  confronted  by  Roland  Greg- 
ory. Gregory  frowned  darkly  when  he  saw  the  young 
pair,  and  evidently  enjoying  each  other's  society,  and 
his  scowl  became  darker  as  he  noticed  the  animation 
on  the  face  of  his  fiancee. 

Glancing  up  just  before  they  met,  Reginald  saw  the 
scowl,  and  in  a  moment  his  own  conscience  was  awake. 
He  felt  ashamed,  humiliated,  disgraced.  His  long  bat- 
tle with  his  heart  had  been  lost.  Joy  Graham  belonged 


132  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

to  another,  and  yet  he  had  been  acting  towards  her 
as  though  she  were  heart-free. 

Roland  Gregory  stopped  in  front  of  them,  and  Regi- 
nald broke  away  almost  without  a  word.  Joy  looked 
after  him  in  astonishment,  wondering  why  he  had 
rushed  away  so  abruptly. 

"Joy,  I  really  must  forbid  you  keeping  company  with 
that  fellow.  I  don't  like  him,  and  you  ought  not  to 
encourage  him  as  you  do." 

Roland  Gregory's  voice  was  harsh  as  he  spoke.  The 
girl  turned  to  him  in  surprise.  "What's  the  matter 
now,  Roland?" 

"You  are  my  promised  wife,  Joy,  and  I  think  you 
ought  to  pay  attention  to  my  wishes.  You  know  I  don't 
like  to  see  you  with  that  English  fellow." 

"I  think  I  can  choose  my  own  company,"  replied  Joy, 
somewhat  nettled  by  his  manner  and  speech. 

"Now,  Joy,  dear,"  said  the  other,  "don't  let  us  quar- 
rel. We  never  had  any  words  before,  and  we  must 
not  let  anything  come  between  us.  About  this  Nelson 
fellow,  I  have  good  reason  to  believe  he  is  a  married 
man  and  that  he  abandoned  a  wife  in  England.  That 
is  why  your  name  must  not  be  associated  with  his." 

This  speech  sank  deeply  into  Joy's  heart.  She  was 
assured  that  Roland  Gregory  would  never  make  any 
such  assertion  unless  he  had  some  proof,  and  Regi- 
nald's actions  had  at  times  been  somewhat  mystifying 
to  her.  She  was  silent,  and  walked  along  by  his  side 
with  drooping  head. 

"Can  you  come  for  a  sleigh-ride  in  my  new  cutter 


IN  THE  COURIER  OFFICE  133 

this  afternoon?"  Roland  asked,  a  little  later,  as  they 
were  about  to  separate. 

"Yes,"  answered  Joy,  somewhat  absent-mindedly. 

"All  right,"  replied  the  other,  waving  his  hat  in 
farewell.  "I  will  drive  around  for  you  about  three 
o'clock." 

The  flattering  account  of  Mr.  Sunday's  evangelism, 
which  appeared  in  the  Courier,  and  especially  tlu 
statements  that  the  saloons  lost  money  every  week  that 
he  conducted  services  in  the  Illinois  town,  aroused  to 
action  the  evangelist's  enemies.  By  clever  manipula- 
tion Bud  McCrea  cajoled  the  city  council  into  passing 
an  ordinance  prohibiting  the  use  of  all  vulgar  and  ob- 
scene language  in  public  addresses  in  Bronson,  the  or- 
dinance being  meant  especially  for  Mr.  Sunday,  whose 
pulpit  mannerisms  and  language  were  now  the  subject 
of  debate  in  almost  every  Bronson  home.  The  Courier 
with  black-leaded  type  called  attention  to  this  ordi- 
nance, and  held  it  up  to  scorn.  This  action  on  the  part 
of  Marchmount's  paper  aroused  Bud  McCrea  to  fury. 
He  called  at  the  Courier  office  the  next  day  in  high 
dudgeon. 

"What  did  you  mean  by  ridiculing  our  councilmen 
when  they  are  attempting  to  keep  vulgarity  and  obscen- 
ity out  of  our  city?"  he  demanded  of  the  editor.  For 
answer  Thomas  Marchmount  turned  and  looked  at  his 
visitor.  The  two  men  stared  at  each  other  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  Thomas  Marchmount  burst  out  laugh- 
ing. McCrea's  anger  increased,  and  his  face  flushed 
scarlet.  Still  the  editor  laughed. 

"I  tell  you  this  is  no  laughing  matter.     If  we  turn 


134  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

against  you  the  Courier  will  soon  see  its  finish."  Bud 
McCrea  snapped  out  this  threat  snarlingly.  The  editor 
stopped  laughing  and  began  to  control  himself. 

"Excuse  me,  Bud,  but  it  is  so  ridiculous  to  hear  you 
talking  about  fostering  culture  and  morality  in  Bron- 
son  that  I  just  had  to  laugh." 

"Your  paper  is  doing  all  it  can  to  give  that  man, 
Sunday,  every  advantage  when  he  gets  here.  He  won't 
do  the  town  any  good." 

"Let  us  wait,  McCrea,  and  see.  I  admit  he  won't 
do  the  gamblers  and  saloon-men  any  good,  and  I  know 
you  think  a  good  deal  of  that  crowd,  but  there  are  a 
few  other  people  in  Bronson  besides  them." 

"You  want  to  be  practical,  Marchmount,"  replied 
the  other,  drawing  his  chair  a  little  closer.  "I  am 
afraid  that  fellow,  Rutledge,  has  gotten  you  off  the 
track.  You  have  been  getting  along  very  smoothly  for 
a  long  time  here,  and  if  things  are  all  stirred  up  it  will 
mean  trouble  for  you  and  all  of  us." 

"I  think  Dr.  Rutledge  is  getting  me  on  the  right 
track,  answered  the  editor,  with  warmth.  "We  have 
been  too  negligent  in  Bronson.  We  are  too  slack  to- 
day. What  has  been  done  about  the  murder  of  that 
poor  girl,  Mae  Mobray?  Not  a  thing.  My  young 
friend  from  England,  who  is  now  our  city  reporter,  has 
been  doing  a  little  investigating  and  he  is  appalled  at 
some  of  the  social  conditions  in  Bronson.  We  need  a 
purging  here,  and  Billy  Sunday  is  the  man  to  do  the 
purging." 

Bud  McCrea  was  silent  at  this  unexpected  outburst 
from  the  hitherto  compliant  editor.  He  sat  still  for  a 


IN  THE  COURIER  OFFICE  135 

few  moments,  and  then  arose  and  buttoned  his  coat. 

"Mark  my  words,  Marchmount,"  he  said,  as  he 
turned  to  leave  the  office,  "if  you  begin  to  fight  us  we 
will  ruin  you.  That  is  all  there  is  to  it.  We  won't  have 
any  foolishness  about  it." 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  you,  McCrea,"  replied  the  edi- 
tor, arising  to  his  feet.  "I  give  you  fair  warning  that 
the  columns  of  the  Courier  will  be  devoted  henceforth 
to  the  real  good  of  our  community." 

That  evening  Mr.  Marchmount  related  to  Reginald 
his  conversation  with  Bud  McCrea,  and  told  his  city 
reporter  to  interview  the  leading  merchants  and  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city  in  regard  to  their  feelings  towards 
the  Sunday  campaign.  The  result  of  this  canvass  was 
surprising  even  to  the  most  enthusiastic  Sunday  sup- 
porters. Almost  to  a  man  the  business  men  endorsed 
the  project,  and  many  of  them  gave  signed  statements 
in  regard  to  their  attitude.  Innocently  entering  the  sa- 
loons also,  Reginald  inquired  of  them  what  they 
thought  of  the  coming  evangelistic  effort,  and  with  com- 
plete unanimity  the  saloon-keepers  denounced  the  enter- 
prise as  a  blot  on  the  fair  name  of  Bronson. 

The  results  of  the  investigation  were  published  in  the 
Courier,  special  emphasis  being  placed  on  the  fact  that 
every  saloon-keeper  was  an  enemy  of  the  baseball  gos- 
peller. 

The  bold  attitude  of  the  Courier  on  other  moral 
questions  at  this  time  was  also  much  commented  on  by 
the  public  and  the  circulation  of  the  paper  began  to 
increase,  especially  amongst  the  masses  of  the  working 
people. 


136  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

At  the  end  of  his  first  month  as  a  city  reporter  Mr. 
Marchmount  called  Reginald  into  his  private  office  and 
remarked,  drily,  "You  are  making  good,  Mr.  Nelson. 
For  your  extra  work  during  the  Sunday  campaign  I  will 
allow  you  a  fifty  per  cent,  increase  in  salary,  and  the 
increase  will  be  permanent." 

Reginald  stammered  his  thanks. 

"No  thanks  are  necessary,"  said  the  editor.  "You 
are  more  than  earning  the  increase.  You  have  brought 
new  life  to  our  paper,  and  hereafter  the  Courier  will 
be  found  on  the  side  of  the  people  every  time." 


CHAPTER  X. 

BEFORE  THE  BATTLE. 

"I  tell  you,  Dr.  Rutledge,  I  have  become  somewhat 
dubious  about  this  Sunday  campaign.  I  am  much  afraid 
the  results  will  not  be  what  you  expect  in  Bronson." 

"Why  do  you  think  so?"  asked  the  Iowa  minister, 
speaking  earnestly. 

Mr.  Townley  and  Allan  Rutledge  were  sitting  to- 
gether in  the  comfortable  study  of  the  People's  Church. 
It  was  the  day  before  the  expected  arrival  of  Mr.  Sun- 
day and  his  company  of  assistants  and  the  two  ministers 
were  conversing  on  the  subject  of  the  coming  battle  be- 
tween the  forces  of  right  and  the  forces  of  wrong.  Al- 
lan Rutledge  had  been  expressing  himself  enthusias- 
tically about  the  impending  struggle  and  the  certain  vic- 
tory of  the  right  when  Mr.  Townley  unexpectedly  in- 
terposed his  doubting  comment. 

"My  recent  studies  in  the  social  sciences,"  re- 
sponded Mr.  Townley,  in  a  serious  tone  of  voice,  have 
been  convincing  me  that  our  churches  have  been  alto- 
gether on  the  wrong  track.  We  have  been  seeking  the 
individual  only.  Mr.  Sunday  represents  the  old  type 
of  evangelism  which  lays  stress  on  the  individual.  What 
we  need  is  the  new  evangelism  which  sees  clearly  that 
the  individual  is  exactly  what  society  makes  him.  We 

137 


138  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

must  seek  to  regenerate  society  instead  of  wasting  our 
time  with  individuals." 

Allan  Rutledge  looked  closely  at  his  companion  and 
remained  silent. 

"Take  Bronson  as  an  example  of  what  I  mean,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Townley.  "There  are  numbers  of  young 
men  and  women  who  are  led  astray  in  Bronson  every 
year,  but  these  young  people  are  not  so  much  to  blame. 
Society  is  to  blame  for  allowing  these  gambling  dens, 
houses  of  vice,  and  saloons  to  exist.  Let  Mr.  Sunday 
turn  his  attention  to  society  and  seek  to  redeem  us  so- 
cially and  I  will  back  him  up  with  my  full  strength,  for 
I  know  he  is  a  man  of  power." 

"Mr.  Townley,  I  want  to  have  a  plain  talk  with  you 
on  this  subject.  I  have  felt  that  you  were  not  alto- 
gether in  sympathy  with  our  campaign  and  that  you 
suffered  it  to  go  forward  more  to  please  me  than  be- 
cause it  appealed  to  your  conscience  and  judgment. 
Let  us  talk  frankly  together.  Unless  you  are  prepared 
to  back  Mr.  Sunday  in  his  effort  for  Christ  and  right- 
eousness in  Bronson  our  forces  are  divided  right  at  the 
start." 

"But  I  shall  certainly  not  oppose  him,  and  I  wish  his 
campaign  all  the  success  possible,"  said  Mr.  Townley 
quickly. 

"I  understand,"  answered  the  other,  "but  you  re- 
member the  words  of  Christ  Himself,  'He  that  is  not 
with  Me  is  against  Me.'  It  will  be  utterly  impossible 
for  you  to  be  neutral  during  Mr.  Sunday's  meetings 
in  Bronson." 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  139 

Mr.  Townley  looked  at  his  fellow-minister  question- 
ingly. 

"Now,  sir,"  continued  Allan  Rutledge,  arising  to  his 
feet,  "you  say  that  society  is  to  blame  for  the  wreckage 
of  a  large  number  of  young  lives  in  Bronson  the  past 
year?" 

"That  is  the  actual  fact,"  said  Mr.  Townley,  con- 
fidently. 

"Well,  then,"  responded  the  pastor  of  the  Central 
Church,  "you  will  surely  admit  that  you  are  a  part  of 
society,  are  you  not?" 

"Certainly." 

"The  wreckage  of  these  young  lives  then  lies  at  your 
door.  I  would  be  ashamed  to  be  a  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ,  sir,  and  admit  that  I  had  wilfully  destroyed 
some  souls  for  whom  Christ  died."  .. 

Allan  Rutledge  spoke  with  a  fierce  earnestness,  look- 
ing sternly  at  the  younger  man. 

"But,"  stammered  the  other,  astonished  at  the  turn 
which  the  conversation  had  taken,  "I  am  not  to  blame. 
It  was  not  with  my  wish  or  consent  that  society  has  per- 
mitted these  death-dealing  institutions  to  exist." 

"No  apologies,  sir,"  continued  Allan  Rutledge,  his 
eyes  flashing  with  indignation  which  seemed  so  real 
that  the  other  was  almost  alarmed.  "No  apologies. 
You  are  a  part  of  society  and  you  admit  society  is  the 
guilty  criminal.  The  whole  includes  the  part  and  you 
are  equally  guilty  with  the  wretched  men  and  women 
who  manage  these  vile  institutions  in  our  community." 

"I  object,  Dr.  Rutledge,"  interposed  Mr.  Townley, 
angered  at  the  fiery,  denunciatory  tone  of  the  minister. 


1 40  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"Why  do  you  object?"  exclaimed  Allan  Rutledge. 
"Have  you  not  admitted  your  own  guilt.  You  are  a 
self-confessed  criminal.  Society  connives  at  these 
houses  of  death  and  you  are  a  part  of  society.  You 
think  as  society  does,  you  speak  as  society  does,  you  act 
as  society  does,  and  you  are  guilty,  sir,  of  murder,  yes, 
of  the  murder  of  souls." 

"No,  sir,"  shouted  Mr.  Townley,  also  arising  to  his 
feet.  "I  never  admitted  that  I  thought  as  society  does 
or  spoke  as  society  does.  You  well  know,  Dr.  Rut- 
ledge,  that  if  the  people  of  Bronson  thought  as  I  did 
they  would  banish  to-morrow  for  all  time  every  saloon, 
gambling  den  and  house  of  ill-fame  from  our  city." 

"Now  you  are  talking  sensibly,  Mr.  Townley,"  said 
Dr.  Rutledge,  seating  himself  calmly  and  turning  a 
smiling  face  on  his  friend.  "I  wished  you  to  separate 
yourself  from  'society'  and  acknowledge  your  indepen- 
dence. Do  you  not  see  that  if  Mr.  Sunday  can  succeed 
in  regenerating  a  majority  of  the  people  of  Bronson 
so  that  they  look  at  these  things  as  you  and  I  do  then 
social  regeneration  is  possible,  but  unless  the  individ- 
uals are  first  reached  and  transformed  it  is  only  absurd 
nonsense  to  talk  of  regenerating  society.  We  need  a 
new  social  life  in  Bronson,  but  before  we  can  talk  of 
social  regeneration  we  must  have  new  men  in  our  com- 
munity, born  again  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God." 

Mr.  Townley's  face  began  to  lose  its  puzzled  ex- 
pression. 

"I  confess  your  bitter  words  a  moment  ago  alarmed 
me,"  said  he,  somewhat  sheepishly. 

"I  have  heard  so  much  foolish  talk  such  as  you  were 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  141 

indulging  in  that  I  am  losing  patience  with  these  ab- 
surd would-be  reformers  of  society  who  wilfully  forget 
that  'the  soul  of  all  improvement  is  the  improvement 
of  the  soul,'  "  said  Allan  Rutledge,  earnestly.  "Since 
the  majority  rules  we  do  not  need  to  regenerate  all  the 
individuals  in  Bronson,  but  only  a  working  majority, 
and  then  I  promise  you  I  shall  begin  a  campaign  for 
the  social  redemption  of  this  place." 

"I  have  noticed  that  Thomas  Marchmount  is  mak- 
ing the  Courier  a  real  factor  for  progress,"  said  Albert 
Townley,  a  little  later.  "Did  you  read  his  article  in 
yesterday's  paper  entitled,  'Give  "Billy"  Sunday  a 
hearing'  ?" 

"I  surely  did,"  responded  his  companion,  "and  I 
want  to  tell  you  that  Mr.  Marchmount's  change  of  atti- 
tude is  due  in  part  to  the  fact  that  he  came  over  to 
some  of  the  evangelistic  meetings  I  have  been  holding 
lately  every  Sabbath  evening." 

Albert  Townley  looked  at  his  fellow-minister  in  sur- 
prise at  this  speech. 

"I  tell  you  it  is  true,"  said  the  other  laughingly.  "You 
know  I  have  a  special  friend  in  the  Courier  office.  Reg- 
inald Nelson  told  me  that  Mr.  Marchmount  was  deep- 
ly stirred  by  a  sermon  of  mine  on  the  text,  'How  shall 
we  escape  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation?'  By  the 
way,  when  we  begin  our  work  of  redeeming  the  social 
life  of  Bronson  we  shall  need  to  depend  greatly  on  the 
Courier.  I  am  praying  that  both  Mr.  Marchmount 
and  his  young  city  reporter  will  be  converted  through 
and  through  during  the  Sunday  meetings,  and  I  think 
they  will." 


142  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"Reginald  Nelson  seems  to  me  to  be  pretty  much  of 
a  Christian  already,"  replied  the  other. 

"But  he  has  never  confessed  Christ,"  answered  Al- 
lan, "and  the  non-Christians  of  Bronson  are  already 
hiding  behind  him  as  they  do  behind  every  good  man 
who  refuses  to  align  himself  with  the  Christian  forces." 

"I  thought  I  was  going  to  have  that  young  immi- 
grant in  my  church,"  said  Albert  Townley,  regretfully. 
"You  know  I  discovered  him  and  directed  him  to  Bron- 
son, but  you  soon  captured  him." 

"I  plead  'not  guilty,',"  said  Allan  Rutledge.  "It  was 
our  young  people  who  captured  Reginald.  You  know 
he  met  Joy  Graham  on  the  boat." 

"Of  course  I  know  that.    I  introduced  them  myself." 

"If  Roland  Gregory  had  not  been  the  first  on  the 
field  I  rather  think  that  something  interesting  would 
have  come  out  of  that  introduction,"  said  Allan  Rut- 
ledge.  At  least,  my  wife,  who  thinks  that  Mr.  Nelson 
is  the  finest  young  fellow  she  has  met  in  Michigan,  was 
telling  me  that  she  believed  the  two  young  folks  were 
mated  in  heaven,  but  things  have  gotten  mixed  on  earth« 
for  Roland  Gregory  and  Miss  Graham  are  engaged, 
and  an  announcement  has  already  been  made  of  their 
wedding  in  the  Fall.  Mrs.  Rutledge  happened  to  speak 
of  the  engagement  to  Reginald  one  day  lately,  and  she 
could  tell  from  his  embarrassment  that  he  had  become 
an  admirer  of  the  girl." 

"I  was  sorry  to  hear  of  that  engagement,"  answered 
Mr.  Townley,  shaking  his  head.  "I  am  afraid  Greg- 
ory is  not  much  of  a  man." 

"I  must  confess  a  dislike  to  him  myself,"  said  the 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  143 

other.  "He  is  opposing  this  Sunday  campaign  with  all 
his  might  and  is  seeking  to  get  Mr.  Graham  to  do  all 
in  his  power  against  the  meetings.  I  expect  to  see  Mr. 
Graham  and  his  daughter  this  afternoon  and  take  them 
to  the  Tabernacle.  I  have  some  hopes  of  Mr.  Gra- 
ham's conversion,  but  he  is  hardened  in  his  self-right- 
eousness." 

"Talking  about  the  responsibility  of  society,"  Dr. 
Rutledge  said  a  little  later,  as  he  arose  to  leave,  "do 
you  know  there  is  in  reality  no  such  thing  as  'social  re- 
sponsibility' as  far  as  society  is  concerned?  You  may 
think  such  a  statement  is  strange,  but  the  more  you  re- 
flect on  it  the  more  you  will  recognize  the  truth  of  it. 
The  individual  has  a  social  as  well  as  an  individual  re- 
sponsibility, but  there  is  no  social  responsibility  apart 
from  the  individual.  Society,  like  any  corporation,  has 
no  soul,  and  only  souls  can  feel  responsibility  of  any 
kind.  Think  that  over  and  it  may  help  you  to  see  the 
weakness  of  many  sociological  dreamers  of  our  day." 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  Allan  Rutledge 
met  by  appointment  with  Mr.  Graham  and  his  daugh- 
ter, and  he  accompanied  them  to  the  great  Tabernacle 
which  had  been  erected  for  the  Sunday  campaign. 

The  tabernacle  was  located  in  the  northwest  part  of 
the  city  on  a  large  vacant  stretch  of  land.  It  was  some- 
what out  of  the  way,  and  Mr.  Graham  remarked  as 
he  approached  it,  "I  am  afraid,  Dr.  Rutledge,  that  you 
have  made  a  mistake  in  the  location  of  the  tabernacle. 
It  will  be  utterly  impossible  to  draw  the  people  out 
here." 


144  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

"But  we  could  not  get  ground  enough  any  nearer," 
replied  the  minister. 

"It  would  have  been  better  to  have  built  a  much 
smaller  building  and  had  it  full  than  to  have  this  mon- 
ster tabernacle  half  empty." 

"It  will  be  full  from  the  first  night,  and  will  be  kept 
full  during  the  entire  five  or  six  weeks  of  the  meetings," 
responded  Dr.  Rutledge,  with  enthusiasm.  "I  know 
Mr.  Sunday's  record  too  well  to  be  disappointed." 

"But  Bronson  people  are  different.  They  would  not 
come  out  as  far  as  this  no  matter  who  is  here." 

"Do  not  the  circus  people  camp  here  when  they  visit 
Bronson?"  asked  the  other. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  smiling,  "but  Mr.  Sun- 
day is  no  circus." 

"He  attracts  the  crowds  better  than  the  circus,"  an- 
swered Dr.  Rutledge.  "There  is  nothing  that  attracts 
men,  Mr.  Graham,  like  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  Mr.  Sunday  presents  it  in  a  way  that  appeals  to  the 
average  American  citizen,  especially  the  working  peo- 
ple." 

They  had  entered  the  tabernacle  and  were  survey- 
ing its  immense  proportions.  As  Mr.  Graham  looked 
around  and  saw  the  endless  tiers  of  seats  his  scepticism 
increased. 

"See  our  choir  loft,"  said  the  minister.  "We  will 
have  one  thousand  singers  seated  there  every  night, 
won't  we,  Joy?"  He  turned  to  the  young  lady  as  he 
spoke.  Miss  Graham  had  been  silent  while  her  father 
and  the  minister  discussed  the  outcome  of  the  great 
effort. 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  145 

"We  will,"  the  girl  exclaimed  in  a  joyful  tone  of 
voice.  "It  will  be  a  beautiful  sight  to-morrow  night  to 
see  this  great  building  all  lit  up  with  lights,  filled  wfth 
the  people  of  Bronson,  and  with  the  singers  massed  be- 
hind the  evangelist.  I  can  see  them  listening  to  the  old, 
old  story,  and  I  know  that  this  tabernacle  means  a  new 
Bronson  by  and  by." 

"A  vision  of  Joy,"  said  her  father,  mockingly. 

"It  is  a  vision  of  what  is  to  be,"  said  Dr.  Rutledge, 
confidently.  "I  trust,  Mr.  Graham,  you  will  be  able  to 
attend  these  services  regularly." 

"I  am  afraid  I  cannot  promise  to  be  a  constant  wor- 
shipper in  this  tabernacle,"  said  Mr.  Graham.  "The 
fact  of  the  matter  is,  Dr.  Rutledge,  I  will  be  glad  when 
this  business  is  over  with  and  the  community  has  re- 
turned to  its  regular  mode  of  Sunday  services.  I  fear 
the  influence  of  Mr.  Sunday  will  be  demoralizing,  es- 
pecially on  the  young." 

"Our  young  people  in  Bronson  are  already  demoral- 
ized," replied  the  minister,  in  a  severe  tone.  "If  Mr. 
Sunday  makes  them  worse  I  will  believe  you  can  spoil 
a  bad  egg." 

"You  are  rather  unfair  to  our  city,"  responded  the 
lawyer,  with  dignity. 

"I  am  speaking  of  the  average  young  man  in  the 
city,"  answered  the  other,  quickly.  "I  am  thankful  for 
the  company  of  earnest  Christian  young  people  which 
we  have  in  association  with  Central  Church,  but  you 
must  know,  Mr.  Graham,  that  the  vast  majority  of  the 
young  men  in  Bronson  take  no  serious  interest  in  re- 
ligion." 


i46  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

The  three  visitors  stepped  up  on  the  rostrum.  Allan 
Rutledge  paused  for  a  moment  in  front  of  the  little 
stand  from  which  the  famous  ex-champoin  of  the  base- 
ball diamond  was  to  deliver  his  messages  of  salvation 
to  the  people  of  Bronson. 

"I  liked  very  much  the  article  which  Mr.  March- 
mount  wrote  in  the  Courier  of  yesterday,"  said  Dr. 
Rutledge,  taking  a  newspaper  from  his  pocket  and 
opening  it.  "Have  you  read  it,  Mr.  Graham?" 

"No,"  answered  the  lawyer,  shortly. 

"Let  me  read  you  a  part  of  it,"  continued  the  min- 
ister, and  he  began  to  read  the  following  editorial : 

"GIVE  'BILLY'  SUNDAY  A  HEARING. 

"Mr.  Sunday,  popularly  known  as  'Billy'  Sunday, 
will  arrive  in  our  city  the  day  after  to-morrow.  He 
can  do  his  own  preaching  without  any  help  from  the 
Courier.  The  record  of  the  conversions  at  his  meet- 
ings are  so  numerous,  so  real,  and  so  remarkable  as  to 
be  astounding  to  his  detractors.  As  the  evangelist  ex- 
pressed it  himself,  'He  has  seen  more  men  hit  the  saw- 
dust trail'  than  any  living  man,  and  no  evangelist  in 
America  is  in  such  demand  as  is  Rev.  William  A.  Sun- 
day. His  records  of  victories  in  Ohio,  Pennsylvania, 
Illinois,  as  well  in  his  native  Iowa,  and  on  the  Pacific 
slope  surpass  anything  seen  in  this  country  since  the 
early  ministry  of  Dwight  L.  Moody  and  the  revivals  in 
the  days  of  Charles  G.  Finney.  We  are  inclined  to  be- 
lieve that  Mr.  Sunday  has  not  been  humbugging  the 
American  people  for  a  score  of  years  since  he  left  the 
baseball  diamond  to  preach  the  Gospel.  At  any  rate,  it 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  147 

will  be  a  privilege  for  our  community  to  hear  this  re- 
markable man,  and  we  are  assured  that  our  people  will 
give  'Billy'  Sunday  a  hearing  and  will  not  pass  judg- 
ment on  him  until  they  have  heard  his  message  and  ob- 
served the  results  of  his  unconventional  methods  of 
preaching." 

Mr.  Graham  and  his  daughter  stood  a  little  distance 
away  as  Allan  Rutledge  read  the  editorial.  When  he 
had  finished  Joy  Graham  clapped  her  hands  in  ap- 
proval. A  few  workmen,  who  were  finishing  the  wiring 
of  the  building  for  electric  lights,  also  joined  in  the  ap- 
plause, but  the  lawyer  frowned  and  turned  away. 

"It  will  be  difficult  to  win  a  man  like  Mr.  Graham," 
said  Allan  Rutledge  to  himself,  sadly,  as  he  saw  the 
manner  in  which  the  lawyer  received  the  open-minded 
editorial  of  Mr.  Marchmount. 

Had  the  minister  followed  the  lawyer  after  he  left 
the  tabernacle  he  would  have  had  still  less  confidence 
in  the  ability  of  Mr.  Sunday,  or  any  other  evangelist, 
to  reach  Mr.  Graham.  Going  directly  to  his  office,  the 
lawyer  found  Bud  McCrea  awaiting  him  with  some 
impatience. 

''Where  have  you  been,  Graham,"  said  McCrea, 
peevishly.  "I  have  been  waiting  here  a  whole  hour 
for  you." 

"I  expected  to  be  back  before  this,"  replied  the  law- 
yer, "but  my  daughter,  Joy,  persuaded  me  to  accom- 
pany Dr.  Rutledge  out  to  the  Sunday  Tabernacle  this 
afternoon,  and  I  have  just  returned." 

"I  want  to  see  you  about  this Sunday  cam- 
paign, as  these  preachers  call  this  Sunday  graft  busi- 


i48  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

ness,"  responded  the  other  with  an  oath.  "It  seems 
that  the  council  ordinance  is  a  failure.  Marchmount's 
jibes  at  it  have  made  it  useless.  Can't  you  see  March- 
mount  and  convince  him  that  he  is  making  a  mistake 
by  letting  these  preachers  lead  him  around  as  they  are 
doing?" 

Mr.  Graham  looked  grave  as  he  answered,  "I  have 
noticed  that  Marchmount's  paper  is  getting  somewhat 
sensational  of  late.  He  is  playing  to  the  mob.  I  think 
that  his  new  city  reporter  is,  in  part,  to  blame." 

"You  mean  that  English  chap?"  inquired  McCrea. 
The  lawyer  nodded. 

"That  fellow  is  the  worst  proposition  that  ever 
struck  our  town,"  said  McCrea,  waxing  indignant.  "He 
interviewed  me,  along  with  the  rest,  about  the  Sunday 
meetings,  and  he  had  the  nerve  to  print  everything  that 
I  said.  He  came  to  see  me  yesterday  again,  inquiring 
about  the  relation  of  the  city  administration  towards 
'the  haunts  of  vice,'  as  he  called  them.  I  sent  him  about 
his  business  pretty  quick,  but  the  idiot  went  and  told 
again  exactly  what  I  said  to  him.  He  is  making  me 
ridiculous  before  the  community." 

"Did  you  see  Marchmount  about  it,"  asked  Mr. 
Graham. 

"Sure,  I  did,"  answered  the  other,  vehemently.  "I 
went  to  him  the  first  thing,  but  he  just  laughed  at  me. 
He  said  he  was  letting  the  city  reporter  look  after  those 
things  and  he  guessed  it  was  all  right." 

The  lawyer  looked  perplexed.  "I  am  afraid  March- 
mount  will  give  us  trouble  if  he  begins  to  take  the  pub- 
lic into  his  confidene  like  that.  This  Sunday  excitement 


BEFORE  THE  BATTLE  149 

is  going  to  stir  things  up  badly,  but  the  tempest  will 
soon  blow  over.  That  is  the  record  of  such  things  al- 
ways." 

Just  then  the  door  opened  and   Roland  Gregory 
stepped  into  the  room.      The   two    men   greeted   him 
cordially.     After  a  few  minutes  of  conversation,  Mr. 
Gregory  began  a  story  of  a  grievance  which  he  also  had, 
against  the  Courier: 

"That  impudent  young  Englishman,  whom  March- 
mount  has  turned  loose  on  this  community,  was  at  the 
factory  this  morning,  inquiring  about  conditions  of  the 
operatives,  the  average  wage  of  the  employees,  and  a 
lot  of  other  impertinent  questions.  I  soon  told  him  to 
go  about  his  business,  but  he  acted  as  though  he  owned 
my  office  and  said  that  the  conditions  in  my  factory 
were  of  public  interest  and  that  he  represented  the  pub- 
lic. He  told  me  he  would  report  exactly  the  treatment 
I  had  given  him  in  the  paper.  I  found  out  that  at  the 
noon  time  he  interviewed  a  number  of  the  girls  and 
women,  and  I  expect  he  will  give  us  a  write-up  to-mor- 
row. Can't  we  stop  this  interference  with  private  busi- 
ness?" 

Roland  Gregory's  anger  increased  as  he  rehearsed 
the  story  of  his  wrongs  to  his  prospective  father-in-law, 
and  he  spoke  the  last  sentence  in  a  loud  tone. 

"I  tell  you,  Graham,  we  must  do  something  to  that 
Courier  or  it  will  ruin  Bronson,"  chimed  in  McCrea,  as 
the  lawyer  sat  silent  after  Gregory's  outburst. 

"I  will  see  Marchmount  about  it,"  said  the  lawyer, 
finally,  "but  I  am  afraid  we  can't  influence  him  much 
until  after  this  Sunday  business  is  over.  At  any  rate, 


150  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

the  paper  will  be  fully  occupied  with  the  tabernacle 
meetings  for  the  next  few  weeks,  and  I  don't  think 
there  will  be  much  interest  in  anything  else  while  the 
clown,  Sunday,  is  in  Bronson." 

"But  after  these  meetings  are  over,"  responded  Mc- 
Crea,  ruefully,  "I  am  afraid  things  will  be  worse  than 
ever.  It  will  finally  end  up  with  the  preachers  running 
this  town  if  we  are  not  careful." 

The  face  of  Bud  McCrea,  as  he  pictured  such  a  fate 
for  the  city  of  Bronson,  was  pathetic.  In  his  estima- 
tion a  city  without  saloons,  gambling  and  vice  was  a 
city  which  was  tottering  to  financial  and  commercial 
ruin. 


CHAPTER  XL 

REGENERATING  A  CITY. 

The  day  that  William  A.  Sunday,  the  much-heralded 
evangelist,  arrived  in  Bronson  was  one  of  suppressed 
excitement.  The  interest  of  all  classes  in  the  ex-base- 
ball champion  was  remarkable.  He  was  the  subject  of 
conversation  in  the  luxurious  parlors  of  the  rich  and  in 
the  humble  cabins  of  the  day  workers  around  the  fac- 
tories. In  places  of  business,  law  offices,  saloons,  re- 
sorts of  all  kinds,  the  one  topic  of  interest  was  "Billy" 
Sunday. 

The  evangelist  arrived  from  Chicago  on  a  morning 
train  and  was  at  once  taken  to  a  large  furnished  house 
which  had  been  set  apart  for  him  and  his  family  during 
his  stay  in  the  city.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife 
and  his  younger  children.  In  addition  to  his  immedi- 
ate family,  he  had  a  number  of  assistants  in  his  com- 
pany, including  an  experienced  janitor  for  the  taber- 
nacle, a  gifted  chorus  leader,  a  pianist,  a  soloist,  a  Bible 
teacher,  shop  workers  and  others. 

"This  looks  like  business,"  said  Allan  Rutledge  to 
himself,  as  he  met  the  party  at  the  train  and  was  in- 
troduced to  the  large  band  of  gospellers.  The  building 
of  the  immense  tabernacle,  the  discussion  of  the  value 
of  Mr.  Sunday's  work  in  a  community,  the  newspaper 


152  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

advertising  which  was  given  to  the  enterprise,  and, 
above  all,  the  bitter  opposition  of  the  enemies  of  Mr. 
Sunday  assisted  in  centering  the  attention  of  the  en- 
tire city  on  the  evangelist  from  the  time  of  his  en- 
trance into  Bronson. 

In  the  evening,  long  before  the  time  announced  for 
the  beginning  of  the  first  service,  the  roads  leading  in 
the  direction  of  the  tabernacle  were  black  with  people. 
It  was  a  cold,  snowy  night,  and  many  feared  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  heat  properly  the  vast  structure, 
but  they  came  anyway,  clad  in  furs  and  heavy  over- 
coats, willing  to  endure  the  cold  rather  than  miss  the 
first  service  of  the  meetings. 

The  experienced  janitor,  who  was  in  Mr.  Sunday's 
employ,  had  taken  immediate  charge  of  the  tabernacle 
on  his  arrival,  and  had  supervised  the  heating  and  ven- 
tilation, and  when  the  crowds  began  to  fill  the  building 
they  found  it  warm  and  comfortable  as  a  church.  The 
floor  of  the  tabernacle  was  covered  with  sawdust,  which 
made  a  clean  and  warm  kind  of  carpet.  "The  sawdust 
trail,"  which  soon  became  a  common  expression  in 
Bronson,  referred  to  the  sawdust  aisles  down  which  the 
penitents  passed  in  going  forward  to  confess  their 
faith. 

The  chorus  leader  had  already  assumed  the  command 
and  the  vast  choir  of  upwards  of  one  thousand  voices 
was  singing  enthusiastically,  leading  the  great  audience 
of  ten  thousand  people,  in  the  well-known  and  ever  pop- 
ular hymn,  "Rescue  the  Perishing,"  when  Mr.  Sunday 
himself  appeared. 


REGENERATING  A  CITY  153 

"Down  in  the  human  heart,  crushed  by  the  Tempter, 

Feelings  lie  buried  which  grace  can  restore ; 
Touched  by  a  loving  hand,  wakened  by  kindness, 
Chords  that  are  broken  will  vibrate  once  more." 

As  the  multiplied  thousands  sang  the  familiar  words 
they  seemed  to  throb  with  a  new  meaning,  and  the  bil- 
lows of  sacred  song  reverberated  in  mighty  volume 
through  the  tabernacle  and  far  out  over  the  city.  Regi- 
nald Nelson  was  sitting  at  the  press  table  on  the  plat- 
form, gazing  out  over  the  sea  of  eager,  upturned  faces, 
while  this  verse  was  being  sung  when  his  eye  caught 
the  figure  of  the  evangelist  coming  in  at  a  side  door. 
He  strode  up  the  aisle  towards  the  platform,  unbutton- 
ing his  overcoat  as  he  walked.  Ascending  a  short  stair- 
way, he  pulled  off  his  overcoat,  threw  it  on  a  chair,  and 
walked  to  the  centre  of  the  rostrum  where  the  pulpit 
stand  had  been  placed.  He  was  the  instant  focus  for 
twenty-two  thousand  eyes  as  he  stood  there,  leaning 
against  the  stand.  Although  past  forty  years  of  age  he 
looked  still  younger,  and  his  figure  seemed  small  and 
slight  against  the  background  of  the  thousand-voiced 
choir.  But  Reginald  had  noticed  the  confident  air  with 
which  he  ascended  the  platform,  and  the  athletic  pose 
of  the  man  as  he  stood  facing  the  audience.  He  could 
see  the  strong,  determined  face,  the  swift  glance  of  the 
flashing  eye,  and  the  physical  vigor  which  in  former 
days  had  made  him  the  fleestest  base-runner  in  all 
America. 

"Rescue  the  perishing,  duty  demands  it; 
Strength  for  thy  labor  the  Lord  will  provide : 
Back  to  the  narrow  way  patiently  win  them ; 
Tell  the  poor  wand'rer  a  Savior  has  died." 


154  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

The  words  of  the  closing  verse  of  Fannie  J.  Crosby's 
world-famed  hymn  rang  out  louder  than  the  previous 
verses,  the  audience  and  choir  seeming  to  welcome  the 
evangelist  with  their  song  and  desiring  him  to  know 
how  hearty  was  their  greeting. 

The  music  ceased  and  an  intense  stillness  pervaded 
the  tabernacle.  Waiting  a  moment  until  the  hush  be- 
came deeper,  Mr.  Sunday  said:  "My  friend,  Dr.  Allan 
Rutledge,  will  lead  us  in  prayer." 

The  great  audience  bowed  reverently  and  the  Iowa 
minister  arose  from  the  group  of  ministers  seated  at 
one  side  of  the  platform,  and  walked  to  the  side  of  the 
evangelist. 

"Let  us  pray,"  he  said  simply,  and  then  began  the 
opening  invocation. 

"O  God,  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  our  Father, 
we  come  to  thee  to-night  with  grateful  hearts  for  Thou 
hast  heard  the  prayers  of  Thy  people  in  Bronson  and 
Thou  are  preparing  to  open  the  windows  of  heaven  and 
pour  us  out  a  blessing  which  will  bring  joy  to  our  city." 

There  were  literally  thousands  present  that  evening 
to  whom  sacred  worship  was  something  strange,  but  all 
listened  to  the  prayer  of  the  pastor  of  the  Central 
Church,  and  thousands  added  their  silent  "Amen"  to 
his  earnest  petitions  for  God's  help  in  the  mighty  con- 
flict which  was  to  be  waged  in  the  following  weeks  in 
Bronson. 

"Bless  the  evangelist,"  prayed  the  minister.  "We 
thank  you  for  his  life  and  ministry;  his  consecration 
and  his  service.  Empower  him  mightily  for  this  cam- 
paign, and  may  Bronson's  new  day  begin  here  and  now 


REGENERA  TING  A  CITY  155 

as  Thy  people  surrender  themselves  to  Thee  to  do 
Thy  will." 

After  the  prayer,  another  hymn  was  announced  and 
the  chorus  leader  again  took  charge.  The  singers  were 
assisted  by  two  pianos,  an  organ,  and  a  large  orchestra, 
and  as  the  strains  of  a  glad,  triumphant  song  arose 
from  the  audience,  Reginald  Nelson  was  reminded  of 
the  words  of  an  ancient  singer  who  had  delighted 
in  sacred  song.  He  was  taken  back  again  in  thought 
to  old  England,  and  he  could  hear  a  mother's  voice 
reading  to  him  out  of  the  Old  Book,  "Make  a  joyful 
noise  unto  the  Lord,  all  ye  lands.  Serve  the  Lord  with 
gladness;  come  before  His  presence  with  singing." 

An  offering  was  taken  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
erecting  the  tabernacle  and  heating  and  lighting  it,  the 
evangelist  declaring  that  these  offerings  would  be  taken 
up  for  a  week  or  two  until  all  the  money  needed  for 
the  expenses  of  the  campaign  were  raised. 

"Remember  this  it  not  a  taber-nickel,"  he  exclaimed. 
"Make  the  offering  a  good  one  as  we  want  to  get  these 
collections  out  of  the  way  as  soon  as  possible." 

Announcements  were  made  of  the  various  prayer 
meetings  morning  by  morning,  and  of  the  plans  for 
shop  meetings  and  other  special  gatherings  from  time 
to  time. 

Then  the  evangelist  began  his  opening  sermon.  It 
was  brief,  pointed,  practical,  and  altogether  informal. 

"We'll  just  get  acquainted  to-night,"  he  declared, 
with  the  smile  on  his  face  which  soon  became  familiar 
to  his  auditors.  "I  am  here  to  help  you.  I  want  to  do 
my  part  in  building  up  God's  Kingdom  on  Earth,  and  if 


i56  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

God  can  build  His  Kingdom  better  with  me  in  my  coffin, 
I  won't  kick.  Let  God's  Kingdom  come,  no  matter 
what  the  consequences  may  be. 

"We  will  make  a  good  deal  of  singing  in  this  cam- 
paign," he  continued.  "There  is  great  virtue  in  song. 
Great  revivals  never  come  without  song.  Song  is  the 
ennobling  element  that  contributes  to  successful  relig- 
ious awakenings.  Song  and  revivals  are  inseparable.  I 
don't  mean  the  kind  that  takes  the  diaphram  exer- 
cises to  produce,"  here  illustrating  in  a  vivid  way  the 
gyrations  that  singers  of  classical  and  high  class  music 
usually  go  through.  There  was  considerable  laughter 
amongst  the  audience. 

"That's  right,"  commented  Mr.  Sunday.  "You  don't 
need  to  be  afraid  of  laughing  in  my  meetings.  There 
is  no  command  of  God,  'Thou  shalt  not  laugh,'  but 
some  people  think  they  are  not  religious  unless  their 
faces  are  as  long  as  a  horse's  face." 

The  audience  was  getting  on  friendly  terms  with 
the  speaker  and  he  continued  in  a  more  earnest  tone: 

"We  need  a  revival  of  the  old-time  religion  in  Bron- 
son,  and  I  am  going  to  preach  the  old  Gospel.  I  am  an 
old-fashioned  preacher,  of  the  old-fashioned  Gospel 
that  has  warmed  this  old  world  for  years,  the  Gospel 
of  Calvary,  of  salvation  and  of  atonement." 

Joy  Graham  seated  in  an  elevated  seat  in  the  choir 
was  watching  the  eagerness  with  which  Reginald  Nel- 
son was  reporting  the  sermon.  She  glanced  out  over 
the  audience  and  noticed  with  joy  the  rapt  attention  of 
the  crowd.  She  could  see  that  the  face  of  her  minister 


REGENERA TING  A  CITY  157 

was  glowing  with  enthusiasm,  as  he  sat  with  a  side  face 
to  the  choir,  facing  the  speaker. 

George  Caldwell  was  also  in  the  choir  and  his  in- 
terest in  the  evangelist  was  intense.  He  had  never  seen 
Mr.  Sunday  before  and  had  heard  much  both  in  praise 
and  blame,  but  his  confidence  in  the  success  of  the  cam- 
paign grew  stronger  as  the  evangelist  proceeded  with 
his  opening  address. 

"We  need  to  begin  these  meetings  right,"  exclaimed 
the  speaker.  "If  you  want  a  revival  of  religion  to 
come  to  Bronson  you  just  take  a  piece  of  chalk  and 
draw  a  circle  around  yourself  and  ask  the  Lord  to  be- 
gin inside  that  circle." 

Here  Mr.  Sunday  showed  how  to  do  it,  using  a 
genuine  piece  of  chalk  and  making  a  ring  with  it  in 
the  Brussel's  carpet  which  covered  the  platform. 

"Think  of  the  drunkenness,  the  misery,  the  lust,  the 
gambling  and  the  sin  in  Bronson,"  he  shouted.  "Think 
of  the  harlotry,  the  vice,  the  want  and  the  squalor; 
think  of  the  mountains  of  guilt  in  this  city.  They  will 
not  move  easily.  You've  got  to  pray.  This  is  a 
cause  to  demand  human  laborers,  and  I  say  it  rever- 
ently, if  God  can't  get  human  agents  to  do  His  work 
it  will  go  undone." 

He  also  chided  inconsistent  church  members  with 
their  failures  to  live  the  right  kind  of  lives  before  the 
world. 

"The  bad  sermons  people  preach  with  their  lives," 
he  proclaimed,  "overrate  the  influence  of  good  sermons 
from  the  pulpit.  You  pray  one  day  and  cheat,  some- 
body in  a  horse-trade  the  next  day.  I  can  tell  more 


158  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

about  your  religion  by  trading  horses  with  you  on 
Thursday  than  by  hearing  you  yell  'Amen'  in  the 
prayer  meeting  on  Wednesday  night." 

There  were  a  number  of  the  eager  listeners  who 
nodded  their  heads  at  this  saying  and  'Billy'  noticed  it 
at  once. 

"That's  right,"  he  declared,  "you  know  I  am  telling 
you  the  truth.  I  have  come  to  Bronson  to  speak  the 
truth  and  I  will  speak  it.  You  have  a  gang  here,  I 
know,  for  there  is  a  gang  in  every  town,  but  I  am  not 
afraid  of  them.  I  never  back-pedaled  for  any  gang 
yet  and  I  never  will." 

This  emphatic  statement  was  greeted  with  applause, 
and  George  Caldwell  just  happened  to  glance  out  into 
the  audience  and  saw  Bud  McCrea  sitting  near  a  side 
door  not  far  from  the  front.  The  dark  scowl  on  Mc- 
Crea's  face  as  he  heard  the  evangelist  bid  defiance  to 
the  gang  was  plainly  visible. 

The  speaker  walked  up  and  down  the  platform  as  he 
continued : 

"I  knew  a  man  down  in  Illinois  who  used  to  yell 
'Amen'  at  the  prayer  meetings  and  paid  his  washer- 
woman fifty  cents  for  doing  the  washing.  One  day  he 
invited  her  to  dinner  and  then  the  miserable  old  scala- 
wag docked  her  twenty-five  cents  for  the  dinner  when 
it  came  to  pay  for  the  washing.  A  little  later  during 
a  revival  meeting  the  old  skinflint  scoundrel  had  the 
nerve  to  go  up  to  the  woman  and  ask  her  to  be  a 
Christian. 

'You  go  to  the  devil,'  was  the  reply  she  gave  him, 
and  I  don't  wonder  at  it." 


REGENERATING  A  CITY  159 

Reginald  Nelson  listened  with  growing  interest  to 
the  kind  of  Gospel  which  Mr.  Sunday  had  come  to 
proclaim  in  Bronson  and  as  he  heard  this  story  he  said 
to  himself:  "If  he  keeps  on  in  that  way  'Billy'  will  get 
me  into  the  ranks  before  he  is  through." 

"Listen  to  me,  men  and  women,"  cried  the  evangel- 
ist, as  he  drew  his  sermon  to  a  close.  "You  cannot 
serve  God  and  Mammon.  A  lot  of  you  church  mem- 
bers try  to  prove  God  a  liar  right  there.  You  go  to 
the  theatre  on  Tuesday  night,  go  to  the  prayer  meeting 
on  Wednesday  night,  to  a  dance  Thursday  night,  and 
to  a  card  party  on  Friday  night,  and  then  on  Sunday 
morning  you  go  to  church  and  occupy  a  space  seven- 
teen inches  square." 

The  end  of  the  sermon  was  abrupt. 

"I  have  a  lot  of  things  to  say  to  you  people  the  next 
five  or  six  weeks,"  he  declared.  "I  will  have  some 
tobasco  sauce  for  some  of  you,  and  hot,  cayenne  pepper 
for  others,  but  I  have  good  fodder  as  well,  and  by  the 
help  of  God  we'll  save  some  souls  in  Bronson." 

He  pulled  out  his  watch  and  exclaimed,  "Why,  its 
twenty  minutes  after  nine.  That's  enough  for  to-night. 
Good-night." 

He  walked  from  the  stand  over  to  the  chair  where 
his  overcoat  was  and  began  to  put  it  on.  The  people 
still  sat  motionless.  He  looked  out  over  the  audience, 
saying,  "What  are  you  waiting  for?  The  benediction? 
There  will  be  no  benediction  to-night.  The  meeting's 
over." 

He  bundled  himself  into  his  overcoat  and  made  for 
a  side  door. 


160  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

The  great  throng  stirred  themselves  and  arose  slow- 
ly. With  few  exceptions  all  were  somewhat  surprised 
at  the  kind  of  sermon  the  evangelist  had  given,  but  the 
impression  he  made  on  the  vast  majority  of  his  hearers 
was  good. 

"Billy's  all  right,"  said  one  old  man  to  a  neighbor  as 
they  walked  along  the  sawdust  aisle. 

"You  bet  he  is,"  was  the  prompt  response.  This 
greeting  and  answer  could  be  heard  all  over  the  crowd. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  Allan  Rutledge  met 
George  Caldwell  for  a  moment. 

"What  did  you  think  of  Mr.  Sunday,"  asked  the 
minister. 

"He  is  just  the  leader  we  needed  in  Bronson,"  re- 
sponded the  young  man,  earnestly.  "I  am  sorry 
neither  Mr.  Graham  nor  Roland  Gregory  were  out  to- 
night. I  think  if  they  knew  the  good  that  Mr.  Sunday 
can  do  us  they  would  not  be  so  bitter  against  him." 

Allan  Rutledge  shook  his  head  sadly.  "I  am  afraid 
their  prejudice  will  keep  them  from  even  listening  to 
Mr.  Sunday.  It  is  too  bad." 

Allan  Rutledge  also  spoke  to  Reginald  Nelson  as  the 
city  reporter  of  the  Courier  was  gathering  up  his 
notes. 

"Did  you  get  a  good  report  of  the  meeting  to- 
night?" asked  Dr.  Rutledge. 

"Watch  for  to-morrow's  Courier,"  answered  Regi- 
nald, with  enthusiasm.  "This  series  of  meetings  will 
be  the  making  of  our  paper.  Our  city  subscriptions 
have  increased  by  the  hundred  since  we  announced  our 
purpose  to  devote  a  large  amount  of  space  to  the 


REGENERATING  A  CITY  161 

Sunday  meetings  and  we  have  had  large  numbers  of 
new  subscribers  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Mr. 
Sunday  is  quite  an  American  institution,  I  can  see." 

Just  then  Vivian  Derwent  and  Joy  Graham  were 
passing  down  from  the  choir  loft. 

"Good,  evening,  young  ladies,"  said  the  minister.  "I 
hope  you  will  be  able  to  be  present  a  good  deal  during 
these  meetings  as  we  will  need  our  singers  every  night." 

"I  shall  not  miss  a  single  evening  if  I  can  help  it," 
answered  Joy,  promptly. 

"Nor  I,  either,"  said  Vivian  Derwent.  "I  think  Mr. 
Sunday  is  such  a  fine  man." 

"You  have  not  heard  him  yet,"  replied  Allan  Rut- 
ledge.  "Wait  until  he  is  here  for  a  week,  and  then 
you  will  hear  him  at  his  best.  He  always  begins  a 
little  mildly." 

"If  he  was  mild  to-night,"  remarked  Vivian.  "I 
wonder  what  it  will  be  like  when  he  is  at  his  best.  He 
seemed  to  me  to  be  quite  plain  this  evening." 

"He  will  speak  still  more  plainly,"  assured  the 
minister. 

The  girls  were  passing  out  when  Dr.  Rutledge 
asked,  "Have  you  girls  an  escort?" 

"No,"  responded  Joy.  "We  do  not  need  an  escort. 
I  will  walk  to  the  dormitory  with  Vivian,  and  then  I 
can  go  home  alone." 

"I  saw  George  Caldwell  here  a  moment  ago,"  he 
said,  looking  around. 

George  Caldwell  had  disappeared  in  the  crowd,  and 
the  minister  turned  to  Reginald,  saying,  "Mr.  Nelson, 


1 62  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

I  wish  you  would  see  that  these  girls  get  home  safely. 
It  is  getting  somewhat  late." 

With  mingled  feelings  of  pleasure  and  pain  the  city 
reporter  of  the  Courier  joined  the  girls  and  they 
walked  together  from  the  tabernacle. 

They  went  first  to  the  dormitory  and  then  Reginald 
and  Joy  walked  to  her  home  together. 

As  they  walked  along  they  passed  a  place  which 
was  very  slippery,  having  been  used  by  the  children 
during  the  day  as  a  slide.  Joy  Graham's  feet  slipped 
as  she  stepped  on  the  icy  surface  and  she  almost  fell, 
but  she  grasped  Reginald's  arm  in  time  to  save  herself. 
A  thrill  of  happiness  vibrated  in  his  soul  as  he  felt 
her  grasp  and  as  he  reached  out  his  arm  to  steady  her. 

"Excuse  me  for  my  carelessness,"  he  said,  apologeti- 
cally. "I  am  neglecting  my  duty  as  escort." 

"I  hope  you  do  not  think  it  a  disagreeable  duty," 
responded  the  girl.  "I  would  not  have  been  afraid  at 
all  to  have  gone  home  alone." 

"No,  no,"  answered  the  other,  quickly.  "It  is  a 
privilege,  Miss  Graham,  a  real  privilege  for  me  to  as- 
sist you  in  any  way  I  possibly  can.  I  am  ready  to  do 
anything." 

"I  wish  then  you  would  try  to  influence  my  father 
to  attend  Mr.  Sunday's  meetings,"  said  the  girl,  earn- 
estly. "I  am  so  anxious  to  have  him  go.  Mama  was 
not  out  to-night  as  she  has  a  bad  cold,  but  she  will  be 
able  to  begin  attending  next  Sunday,  and  I  am  in  hopes 
papa  will  go  with  her  every  night." 

"I  am  afraid  I  have  not  much  influence  with  Mr. 


REGENERA TING  A  CITY  1 63 

Graham,"  said  the  young  man.  "Cannot  Mr.  Greg- 
ory influence  him?" 

Reginald  never  knew  why  he  said  this,  for  he  well 
knew  Roland  Gregory's  opposition  to  the  Sunday  meet- 
ings. He  did  not  know,  however,  that  Gregory  had 
asked  Joy  not  to  sing  in  the  choir  during  the  meetings 
and  she  had  flatly  refused  to  humor  him,  declaring  that 
she  felt  it  a  religious  duty  to  assist  and  that  he  had  no 
right  to  interfere  with  her  religion. 

"Oh,  dear,"  sighed  Joy,  in  response  to  Reginald's 
reference  to  her  betrothed,  "I  am  more  anxious  about 
poor  Roland  than  I  am  about  papa.  Roland  talks 
awfully  about  Mr.  Sunday  and  says  it  is  a  shame  for 
people  to  listen  to  his  vulgar  talk.  I  did  not  think 
him  vulgar  to-night,  did  you,  Mr.  Nelson?" 

"I  should  say  not,"  replied  the  other,  thinking  rather 
vengefully  of  the  contempt  which  Roland  Gregory  had 
shown  him  a  few  days  before  when  he  called  to  investi- 
gate the  conditions  at  the  Gregory  factory. 

"I  will  try  to  get  Roland  to  accompany  me  to-mor- 
row night,"  said  Joy,  innocently.  "I  will  promise  to 
sit  in  the  audience  with  him  if  he  attends." 

"Such  an  offer  would  make  me  attend  a  meeting  any- 
where and  at  any  time,"  said  Reginald,  recklessly. 

"Ah,  you  flatter!"  answered  the  girl,  laughingly. 
Yet  Reginald  in  some  way  knew  that  the  speech  pleased 
her,  and  he  walked  by  her  side  happy  and  contented. 

At  the  door  of  the  Graham  home  Reginald  bade 
the  girl  a  cordial  good-night,  and  then  he  returned 
slowly  to  the  Courier  office. 


1 64  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

Once  more  his  conscience  began  to  upbraid  him  for 
his  feelings  towards  Joy  Graham. 

"I  cannot  think  of  her  as  belonging  to  that  fellow, 
Gregory,"  he  said  to  himself.  "If  he  has  any  claim  on 
her  I  believe  I  owe  it  to  her  to  rid  her  of  the  claim  for 
he  is  not  worthy,"  and  the  city  reporter's  face  flushed 
as  he  remembered  the  insolence  of  Gregory  towards 
him. 

"No  matter  what  kind  of  a  man  Gregory  is  that  girl 
is  pledged  to  him  as  a  wife  and  it  is  dishonorable  for 
you  to  act  as  you  have  done  to-night  and  feel  towards 
her  as  you  do  now." 

Some  other  voice  in  his  soul,  and  a  voice  that  did 
not  represent  what  was  lowest  in  his  nature,  as  he  well 
knew,  spoke  these  words  imperiously  to  the  perplexed 
youth. 

He  was  glad  when  he  reached  the  Courier  office  and 
he  plunged  at  once  into  the  task  of  getting  his  "copy" 
ready  for  the  special  morning  edition  of  the  paper.  It 
was  long  after  midnight  when  he  retired  to  rest  in  the 
Cameron  home. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MAN  TO  MAN. 

"You  can  do  just  as  you  please.  If  you  don't  care 
anything  about  God  and  if  you  don't  care  anything 
about  the  results  of  your  actions,  you  can  lie  if  you 
want  to;  you  can  steal  if  you  want  to;  you  can  fight 
booze,  you  can  commit  adultery  if  you  want  to,  but  lis- 
ten to  me:  be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked,  and 
what  you  sow,  you'll  reap.  You  can  go  your  way  and 
you  can  go  it  to  the  limit,  but  as  sure  as  there  is  a  God 
above  you  will  have  to  pay  the  price." 

With  these  words,  spoken  with  intense  earnestness, 
Billy  Sunday  began  an  address  to  the  men  of  Bronson 
and  the  surrounding  country  one  Sunday  afternoon. 
It  was  a  thrilling  sight  for  the  evangelist  when  he 
stepped  on  the  platform.  The  immense  tabernacle  was 
crowded  to  the  rear  doors,  fully  ten  thousand  men  be- 
ing massed  together  in  the  most  wonderful  religious 
service  ever  held  in  all  Michigan.  In  the  choir  loft  there 
were  fully  one  thousand  more  men  and  boys.  It  was 
after  three  weeks  of  hard  campaigning,  during  which 
Mr.  Sunday  had  preached  as  no  one  ever  preached  be- 
fore in  Bronson.  He  had  denounced  sin,  hyprocrisy, 
ungodliness  and  every  form  of  evil  in  a  terrific  man- 
ner, using  at  times  a  vocabulary  of  his  own.  He  pic- 

165 


1 66  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

tured  the  results  of  infidelity  with  unsparing  vividness. 
But  he  had  kept  his  great  audiences  night  after  night 
in  good  humor  and  he  carried  public  sentiment  with 
him  in  a  manner  that  amazed  such  men  as  Bud  McCrea 
and  Mr.  Graham.  In  his  pictures  of  heaven  and  in  his 
discriptions  of  hell  the  evangelist  became  a  tragedian 
and  the  people  rejoiced  and  trembled  in  turn.  After 
the  first  two  weeks  he  began  to  plead  with  men  to 
forsake  their  sins  and  surrender  themselves  to  Jesus 
Christ  and  take  up  the  Christian  life.  The  response 
to  his  invitations  were  immediate.  Hundreds  pressed 
forward  to  confess  their  willingness  to  live  henceforth 
for  God.  Amongst  the  penitents  had  been  men  of  all 
classes,  rich  and  poor,  learned  and  ignorant.  Some 
society  women  crowded  to  the  front  in  company  with 
operatives  from  the  Gregory  factory.  Students  from 
the  Normal  school,  and  professors  also,  were  amongst 
the  throng  which  uhit  the  sawdust  trail." 

The  Courier  devoted  more  than  half  its  space  every 
day  to  reporting  the  meetings  and  religion  was  the 
sole  topic  of  interest  in  Bronson.  Prayer  meetings 
were  held  every  day  in  every  section  of  the  city;  shop 
meetings  at  noon  were  addressed  by  scores  of  ministers 
and  prominent  laymen.  Business  men  who  had  never 
before  mentioned  religion  to  their  associates  now 
pleaded  with  them  to  accept  the  Christian  faith. 

Elaborate  preparations  had  been  made  beforehand 
to  insure  the  success  of  the  great  men's  mass  meeting 
that  Sunday  afternoon.  It  was  a  beautiful  Winter  Sab- 
bath, and  Reginald  Nelson,  who  had  remained  faith- 
fully at  the  presstable  night  after  night,  sat  on  the 


MAN  TO  MAN  167 

platform  and  watched  the  regiments  of  men  throng  into 
the  tabernacle.  When  the  multiplied  thousands  filled 
the  broad  arena  he  said  to  himself,  "This  is  an  army." 

After  the  opening  signing  and  prayer  "Billy"  Sunday 
began  his  address.  At  the  opening  sentence  he  caught 
the  attention  of  all." 

"I  am  going  to  hit  right  out  from  the  shoulder  to- 
day, men,"  he  continued.  "God  knows  I  feel  kindly 
towards  you  and  that  I  have  no  other  aim  than  a  desire 
to  help  you.  Before  you  leave  the  tabernacle  I  hope  I 
shall  have  convinced  you  that  I  did  not  come  here  to- 
day to  pump  you  full  of  hot  air." 

Here  the  speaker  unloosened  his  collar  and  tie  and 
laid  them  on  a  near-by  chair,  and  also  removed  his 
coat. 

"I  am  trying  to  practice  what  I  preach,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "for  I  throw  too  many  rocks  at  other  people 
to  live  in  a  glass  house.  I  am  trying  the  best  I  know 
how  to  trot  square." 

There  was  a  burst  of  applause  from  the  audience, 
and  Mr.  Sunday  continued  with  increasing  animation: 

"I  know  what  it  is  to  work.  I  lived  on  a  farm  in 
early  life  and  from  nine  years  of  age  I  have  been 
doing  a  man's  work  in  the  world.  My  father  died  in 
the  war  and  my  mother  was  left  a  widow  with  a  family 
of  small  children.  I  tell  you  I  have  crawled  up  out  of 
the  sewers  of  poverty." 

The  great  army  of  men  were  now  listening  intently, 
and  the  evangelist  plunged  into  his  theme. 

"I  have  been  told  a  good  many  things  about  some  of 
you  fellows  here  in  Bronson,"  he  declared,  walking 


i68  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

up  to  the  edge  of  the  platform  and  glaring  out  over  the 
throng.  "I  know  that  some  of  you  go  home  at  night, 
you  old  devils,  from  places  where  you  wouldn't  think 
of  taking  your  wife  for  all  the  world.  And  you  young 
bucks,  I  know  about  you  too.  Some  of  you  go  down  to 
the  haunts  of  vice,  and  if  some  one  asks  you  to  go  to 
the  tabernacle  and  hear  Bill,  you  answer,  'Oh,  no,  he 
is  too  d — d  vulgar.'  You  miserable,  little  low-down 
wretches,  some  of  you  are  so  low  down  that  you  would 
have  to  reach  up  to  touch  the  bottom,  and  you  are  so 
crooked  you  could  hide  behind  a  corkscrew." 

These  statements  evoked  roars  of  laughter  and  ap- 
plause, but  Reginald  could  see  a  number  of  young  men 
flush  as  the  speaker  made  these  biting  remarks,  and 
amongst  them  was  Roland  Gregory,  who  had  attended 
the  meeting  for  the  first  time  that  afternoon. 

"I  know  the  fellows  who  will  find  fault  with  my  talk 
to-day,"  continued  Billy  Sunday.  "Every  fellow  that 
is  not  toting  square,  every  fellow  who  is  lecherous, 
false,  dishonest  and  mean  will  go  away  from  here  and 
cuss  me,  but  you  men  who  believe  in  what  is  right,  and 
who  want  to  see  Bronson  cleaned  up,  you  men  who  are 
trying  to  live  the  right  kind  of  a  life,  I  know  you  are 
with  me.  I  don't  expect  to  please  either  fools  or  ras- 
cals and  I  never  try  to." 

"Christianity  appeals  to  strong  men,"  he  shouted. 
"It  is  the  weak  man  who  is  the  sinner.  Sin  is  too  much 
for  him.  The  Gospel  makes  the  weak  strong." 

Many  of  the  older  men  in  the  audience  could  well  re- 
member when  the  speaker's  name  appeard  daily  in  the 
papers  as  the  fastest  runner  in  one  of  the  champion 


MAN  TO  MAN  169 

baseball  teams  in  America  over  twenty  years  before, 
and  their  interest  was  intense  as  the  former  ball  player 
referred  to  his  life  on  the  diamond. 

"When  I  was  playing  ball,"  he  said,  in  colloquial 
tones,  "I  could  run  one  hundreds  yards  in  ten  seconds. 
I  made  the  circuit  of  the  bases  in  fourteen  seconds. 
After  I  became  a  Christian  I  was  just  as  good  a  ball 
player  as  before." 

The  audience  was  now  completely  under  the  power 
of  the  evangelist's  personality,  and  he  became  more 
personal  in  his  address. 

"What  are  you  living  for?"  he  asked.  "Some  of  you 
are  living  for  money  and  I  have  no  objection  to  wealth 
if  it  is  honestly  acquired,  but  remember  this,  gentlemen, 
there  will  be  no  pockets  in  your  shrouds  and  if  there 
were  your  arms  would  be  too  stiff  to  get  your  hands  into 
them.  When  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  who  was  worth 
$200,000,000  died,  someone  in  Wall  Street  asked  how 
much  he  left,  and  the  answer  was  that  he  had  left  it  all. 
These  words  are  true  of  every  one  of  us.  We  came 
into  the  world  without  a  dollar  and  we  go  out  without 
a  dollar.  If  all  the  millionaires  in  hell  could  pool  their 
money  they  couldn't  buy  a  drop  of  water  to  cool  their 
parched  tongues.  Remember  that,  you  old  repro- 
bates," roared  the  evangelist.  "You  can't  take  your 
gold  and  silver  with  you  when  you  leave  this  world, 
and  it  wouldn't  do  you  any  good,"  he  added,  paren- 
thetically, "if  you  did  take  it  for  it  would  all  melt." 

A  smile  rippled  over  the  audience  at  this  remark. 

"Some  of  you  are  living  for  lust,"  cried  Mr.  Sun- 
day.  Here  the  speaker  launched  into  a  discussion  of 


170  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

the  social  evil  and  of  its  effects  on  society.  He  made 
a  strong  plea  for  a  single  standard  of  morals.  "You 
cowardly,  contemptible  young  hound,"  he  shouted,  di- 
recting his  attention  to  a  crowd  of  younger  men,  "you 
betray  the  trust  of  an  innocent  young  girl  and  society 
still  recognizes  you,  while  the  umpire  shouts,  'The  girl 
is  out.'  I  tell  you  it  does  not  make  any  difference  to 
God  whether  you  wear  a  plug  hat  or  a  hairpin.  It 
makes  no  difference  to  Him  whether  you  wear  a  coat 
or  a  petticoat.  God  does  not  recognize  two  standards, 
and  any  society  that  does  is  too  low  down  for  me." 

Mr.  Sunday  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  liquor 
business  and  attacked  the  open  saloon  in  vigorous 
words. 

"The  saloons  of  Bronson,"  he  exclaimed,  "are  the 
vendors  of  poison;  they  are  the  breeding  places  of 
crime  and  pauperism;  they  are  the  nesting  places  of 
anarchy  and  the  incubators  of  lawlessness.  If  no  one 
ever  preached  before  to  these  old  bull-necked  fellows 
there  is  one  here  now  who  is  not  afraid  to  do  it." 

A  number  of  saloon  keepers  and  bar-tenders  in  the 
audience  lowered  their  heads»quickly. 

"Let  us  stop  finding  fault  with  the  sins  of  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob,"  continued  the  speaker.  "Let  us 
speak  plainly  about  the  vileness  and  corruption  of  this 
infamous  business  right  here  in  Bronson,  and  we'll  see 
better  times.  When  I  get  through  preaching  here  you 
can  throw  me  in  the  Bronson  River  if  you  want  to,  but 
I  know  you  will  have  to  say,  'There  goes  a  man  who 
stood  up  for  our  homes,  our  wives,  our  children  and 
our  community.'  Don't  you  see  it,  men,"  he  said, 


MAN  TO  MAN  171 

pleadingly.  "I  am  fighting  for  you  and  for  your 
homes." 

In  bringing  his  address  to  a  close,  Mr.  Sunday  again 
referred  to  his  baseball  experiences. 

"I  used  to  play  ball,"  he  said  simply.  "I  played  cen- 
ter and  left  field  on  the  old  Chicago  White  Stockings. 
I  don't  believe  their  equal  was  ever  known,  and  I  am 
sure  their  superior  never  was.  One  season  we  played 
all  year  with  eleven  men.  It  is  over  twenty  years  ago 
now,"  he  continued,  while  the  audience  bent  forward 
to  hear  him  speak.  "The  team  was  in  Chicago.  It  was 
Sunday  afternoon  and  I  was  with  a  company  of  ball 
players  who  were  then  famous  throughout  the  world. 
We  went  into  a  saloon.  After  coming  out  we  walked 
to  the  corner  of  State  and  Madison  Streets,  and  sat 
down  on  the  curbing.  Across  the  street  a  company  of 
men  and  women  were  playing  on  horns,  flutes,  and  slide 
trombones,  and  some  others  were  singing  gospel 
hymns.  They  were  the  very  hymns  I  used  to  hear  my 
mother  sing  back  in  the  log  cabin  in  Iowa  when  I  was 
a  child.  They  were  the  songs  I  used  to  sing  myself  in 
the  Sunday  school  back  in  the  old  church." 

There  were  tears  in  the  eyes  of  the  evangelist  and  his 
voice  was  tender  as  he  spoke.  Thousands  of  men 
looked  at  the  speaker  through  dimmed  eyes  and  the 
silence  in  the  tabernacle  was  profound. 

"I  listened,"  continued  the  ex-champion  of  the  dia- 
mond, "and  God  painted  on  the  canvas  of  my  recol- 
lection and  memory  a  vivid  picture  of  the  scenes  of 
other  days  and  other  faces.  I  began  to  cry  and  sob. 
and  my  heart  was,  Oh,  so  lonely.  A  young  man 


172  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

stepped  out  and  said,  'We  are  going  down  to  the  Pacific 
Garden  Mission.  Won't  you  come  with  us  ?  I  am  sure 
you  will  all  enjoy  it.'  I  arose  to  my  feet  and  said 
to  the  other  boys,  'Good-bye,  I'm  going  down  to  the 
Mission  with  this  crowd.'  They  saw  I  was  interested 
and  some  laughed,  others  mocked,  but  one  of  them  en- 
couraged me.  Some  of  them  looked  at  me  in  silence.  I 
left  them  at  the  corner,  went  to  the  Mission  and  got 
down  on  my  knees  and  gave  my  heart  to  Jesus  Christ. 
I  went  over  to  the  west  side  of  Chicago  and  joined 
the  Jefferson  Park  Presbyterian  Church." 

"Amen,  praise  God,"  said  an  old,  gray  haired  man 
near  the  front  when  the  evangelist  had  finished  the 
story  of  his  conversion. 

"I  have  thanked  God  ever  since  for  saving  me  that 
day,"  continued  the  speaker.  "Listen,  men,  the  other 
boys  who  were  with  me  that  afternoon  are  now  nearly 
all  gone."  The  speaker  then  told  of  the  sad  fates 
of  his  fellow  ball  players  who  were  on  the  White  Stock- 
ing team.  One  of  them  had  died  in  an  insane  asylum 
in  Michigan,  a  victim  of  cigarettes;  another  had 
crawled  into  a  dunkard's  grave;  another  died  in  pov- 
erty and  squalor  as  a  consequence  of  his  sins.  "Which 
of  those  boys  won  out  that  Sunday  afternoon?"  he 
asked.  "Did  I  or  did  they?  Thank  God,  I  won 
through  Jesus  Christ.  I  am  what  I  am  through  Him." 

The  speaker  paused,  and  said  abruptly,  "How  many 
of  you  men  will  say,  'Thank  you,  Bill,  your  sermon 
has  helped  me'  ?" 

The  men  began  to  rise  in  scores  and  hundreds  and 
thousands,  until  it  seemed  that  every  man  in  the  taber- 


MAN  TO  MAN  173 

nacle  was  on  his  feet.  They  sang  a  hymn  and  as  they 
sang  the  evangelist  plead  with  the  men  to  come  forward 
and  do  as  he  had  done  twenty  years  before  and  more 
in  Chicago. 

"Who  will  be  the  first  to  step  out  before  this  host  of 
men  and  declare  himself  a  Christian?"  shouted  the 
evangelist. 

In  a  moment  Reginald  Nelson  stepped  from  the 
press  table  to  the  sawdust  floor  and  made  his  way  over 
to  where  Mr.  Sunday  was  standing.  As  Reginald  did 
so  he  caught  sight  of  Thomas  Marchmount  walking 
down  the  aisle  and  the  two  men  approached  the  evan- 
gelist together,  who  greeted  them  with  a  fervent 
"Thank  God."  As  the  editor  and  city  reporter  of  the 
Courier  were  rocognized  a  round  of  applause  arose, 
and  others  began  to  stream  towards  the  front. 
Amongst  them  was  Edgar  Prince,  one  of  the  largest 
manufacturers  of  Bronson.  The  sight  of  their  em- 
ployer "hitting  the  sawdust  trail"  stirred  up  scores  of 
the  employees  in  his  factory  to  follow  his  example,  and 
the  front  of  the  tabernacle  was  soon  filled  with  the  peni- 
tents. 

"This  means  a  new  Bronson,"  cried  Billy  Sunday, 
as  he  saw  the  wave  of  spiritual  power  sweeping  over 
the  audience,  and  men  yielding  to  Jesus  Christ  in  hun- 
dreds. 

When  the  meeting  was  dismissed  the  scenes  in  the 
tabernacle  were  overpowering.  Fathers  and  sons  wept 
on  each  others'  necks.  Friends  shook  hands  with 
friends,  tears  coursing  down  their  cheeks  for  very  joy. 
Mr.  Cameron  made  his  way  to  the  platfrom  where 


174  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

Reginald  was  getting  his  notes  together,  and  threw  his 
arms  around  the  young  man,  crying  out,  "Thank  God, 
my  boy,  I  have  been  praying  for  you." 

For  the  first  time  since  he  left  England  the  immi- 
grant broke  down  entirely  and  wept  himself  in  uncon- 
trolable  emotion.  When  he  could  speak  he  turned  to 
Mr.  Cameron  and  said,  "I  mean  it.  I  have  surrend- 
ered myself  heart  and  soul  to  God  this  day." 

Mr.  Cameron  pressed  his  hand  warmly  in  response. 
A  little  later  Mr.  Marchmount  also  greeted  Reginald. 
The  vereran  editor's  eyes  were  moist  as  he  told  the 
younger  man,  "I  have  come  back  from  many  years  of 
wandering,"  and  then  laying  his  hand  affectionately  on 
Reginald's  shoulder,  he  added,  "I  owe  something  to 
you  for  showing  me  that  Christianity  is  a  reality  in  the 
world." 

Reginald  did  not  understand  what  he  meant  at  the 
time,  but  he  shook  hands  warmly  with  his  employer. 

Out  amongst  the  audience,  meanwhile,  another  kind 
of  scene  was  being  enacted.  George  Caldwell  sat  in 
the  choir  loft  during  the  sermon  and  had  noticed  the 
growing  interest  of  Roland  Gregory  in  the  service. 
At  the  close  of  the  meeting  George  hastened  to  the 
place  where  Roland  Gregory  was  sitting  and  began  to 
urge  him  to  begin  the  Christian  life. 

"I  have  been  wanting  to  talk  to  you  about  this  for 
several  days,"  said  George  Caldwell.  "How  happy 
it  will  make  Joy  if  you  accept  Christ  and  become  a 
Christian  man." 

Roland  Gregory  arose  to  his  feet  and  stood  with 
bowed  head. 


MAN  TO  MAN  175 

"Won't  you  come  up  to  the  front  and  settle  the  mat- 
pended  on  his  right  choice  then. 

"I  would  like  to,"  said  Roland,  in  a  shaking  voice. 

George  Caldwell  was  delighted  to  see  the  unusual 
interest  which  the  young  man  showed.  "Come,"  he 
urged,  "it  is  only  a  step.  Take  the  step  to-day,  now, 
right  now." 

"Oh,  George,  I  can't.  It  would  mean  too  much.  I 
can',  I  can't."  There  was  a  wail,  as  of  anguish,  in  the 
young  manufacturer's  voice,  and  George  Caldwell  was 
greatly  moved. 

"Let  us  get  down  on  our  knees,  Roland,"  he  said. 
"I  will  pray  for  you." 

"No,  no,  I  can't  kneel  before  God,"  said  the 
other,  "I'm  lost,  George,  I'm  lost."  Roland  Gregory 
broke  into  tears. 

"Settle  it  now,"  pleaded  the  other,  also  greatly 
moved.  "See  how  many  others  have  surrendered.  Did 
you  not  see  Mr.  Marchmount,  Mr.  Prince  and  young 
Mr.  Nelson." 

"Yes,  they  can  be  saved,  but  not  me,  not  me." 

Roland  Gregory  turned  and  hurried  away,  leaving 
his  friend  wondering  at  his  intense  interest  and  at  his 
despairing  words. 

"I  will  tell  Joy  Graham  about  it,"  said  George  Cald- 
well to  himself,  "and  we  will  win  Roland  yet.  He 
needs  salvation  or  he  will  be  lost." 

George  Caldwell  was  thinking  of  some  authenticated 
stories  which  he  had  recently  heard  of  Gregory's 
habits,  and  he  felt  that  the  young  manufacturer  was 


176  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

at  the  parting  of  the  ways,  and  that  his  destiny  de- 
pended on  his  right  choice  then. 

Thinking  that  it  would  be  best  to  see  Joy  Graham 
at  once  in  regard  to  Roland,  he  went  directly  from  the 
tabernacle  to  the  Graham  home.  George  Caldwell 
found  that  Mr.  Graham  had  just  arrived  from  the 
men's  meeting  as  he  had  been  in  attendance,  but  as 
he  sat  near  the  rear  George  had  not  seen  him. 

"Was  not  that  a  great  and  wonderful  religious  serv- 
ice?" said  the  young  man  as  he  greeted  Mr.  Graham. 

The  elder  man  frowned  slightly  and  replied,  "Mr. 
Sunday  is  a  magnetic  speaker,  I  admit,  but  I  do  not 
believe  in  so  much  excitement  as  there  was  at  the  taber- 
nacle to-day.  I  was  surprised  to  see  the  actions  of  Mr. 
Prince  and  Mr.  Marchmount.  I  thought  they  were 
more  self-controlled." 

George  Caldwell  was  too  much  astonished  at  Mr. 
Graham's  reply  to  make  any  further  response,  and 
he  saw  at  once  that  Mr.  Graham  would  not  assist  in 
any  way  in  aiding  Roland  Gregory  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian. It  then  suddenly  dawned  on  George  Caldwell 
that  Mr.  Graham,  although  the  leading  trustee  of  Cen- 
tral Church  in  Bronson  was  not  himself  a  Christian 
professor,  and  he  ventured  to  ask  him  about  it. 

"Would  not  this  be  a  good  time,  Mr.  Graham,"  he 
asked,  "for  you  to  make  a  public  confession  of  your 
faith  in  Christ?  You  know  you  are  a  trustee  of  our 
church." 

Mr.  Graham  frowned  again  and  answered,  "If  I 
were  going  to  become  a  Christian  I  would  not  do  so 
at  a  time  of  excitement  like  this." 


MAN  TO  MAN  177 

Just  then  Joy  Graham  entered  the  room,  and  the 
older  man  seemed  glad  to  escape. 

George  Caldwell  told  in  glowing  language  of  the 
afternoon  service  at  the  tabernacle  and  of  the  presence 
and  interest  of  Roland  Gregory. 

"I  have  been  praying  for  Roland,"  said  the  girl, .her 
eyes  filling  with  tears.  "God  is  answering  my  prayers." 

"Do  not  tell  him  that  I  told  you,"  cautioned  the 
other,  "as  it  might  offend  him,  for  you  know  how  sen- 
sitive Roland  is." 

"I  will  be  careful,"  said  the  girl. 

"By  the  way,"  added  George,  as  he  rose  to  leave, 
"Mr.  Nelson  came  forward  this  afternoon,  along  with 
Mr.  Marchmount  and  Mr.  Prince." 

"Splendid,"  answered  the  girl,  with  beaming  eyes. 
"I  am  so  glad  to  know  that  Mr.  Nelson  has  decided  the 
question.  I  could  see  every  night  how  his  interest  in 
the  sermons  of  Mr.  Sunday  was  increasing.  Is  not 
Mr.  Sunday  a  wonder?" 

"He  is  a  man  qualified  by  God  for  a  wonderful  work 
in  our  country,"  said  George  Caldwell,  earnestly. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

JOY  GRAHAM  MAKES  A  DISCOVERY 

"Are  you  going  to  Augsley  this  evening,  Joy?" 

"Yes,  mama,  I  promised  Dr.  Rutledge  that  I  would 
accompany  them  to-night  and  sing  a  solo." 

Joy  Graham  and  her  mother  were  talking  one  morn- 
ing about  two  weeks  after  the  close  of  the  tabernacle 
meetings.  Augsley  was  a  small  town  near  Bronson 
and  a  number  of  the  new  converts  had  planned  to  ac- 
company Allan  Rutledge  and  Mr.  Townley  and  hold  an 
evangelistic  meeting  in  Augsley.  Not  only  this  village, 
but  a  whole  circle  of  small  towns  around  Bronson  were 
in  this  way  to  share  the  religious  enthusiasm  which  had 
been  generated  during  the  Sunday  campaign. 

"Do  you  think  Roland  would  care  to  go?"  asked 
Joy's  mother,  a  little  anxiously. 

"Isn't  it  too  bad  that  neither  Roland  nor  papa  got 
any  good  from  those  wonderful  meetings.  If  only 
they  had  attended  they  would  soon  have  seen  that  their 
judgment  of  our  evangelist  was  prejudiced."  There 
was  a  little  tremble  in  Joy's  voice  and  the  suspicion  of 
a  tear  as  she  spoke. 

"Well,  well,  child,  we  will  have  to  make  the  best  of 
it,"  responded  Mrs.  Graham.  "We  ought  to  be  happy 
that  so  many  have  been  won  to  the  Christian  faith 


JO  Y  GRAHAM  MAKES  A  DISCOVER  Y     179 

during  the  past  month.  I  was  reminded  of  the  old-time 
revivals  which  I  supposed  were  utterly  impossible  in 
this  day  of  culture." 

As  Mrs.  Graham  said  the  Sunday  meetings  had  been 
an  unparallelled  success.  Upwards  of  eight  thousand 
converts  had  professed  conversion  to  the  religion  of 
Christ.  Amongst  these  were  many  of  the  public  men  of 
the  community,  including  almost  every  county  officer,  a 
number  of  lawyers,  some  of  the  most  prominent  physi- 
cians, as  well  as  well-known  business  men.  During  the 
last  week  "Billy"  Sunday  had  carried  everything  before 
him.  The  Courier  carried  his  sermons  far  and  wide 
over  southern  Michigan,  and  this  had  stirred  up  the 
churches  in  the  surrounding  vilages,  and  they  had  asked 
for  help  from  the  new  converts  in  Bronson.  Under 
the  leadership  of  Allan  Rutledge  a  series  of  meetings 
were  arranged,  and  that  evening  a  company,  including 
Reginald  Nelson,  Edgar  Prince,  and  Thomas  March- 
mount  intended  to  inaugurate  this  new  and  strange 
evangelism  by  holding  a  meeting  in  Augsley. 

"I  will  go  down  to  Roland's  office  this  morning,  and 
see  if  I  cannot  persuade  him  to  go  with  me  to-night," 
said  Joy,  after  a  pause.  "If  he  can  hear  Mr.  Prince 
give  his  testimony  it  may  be  as  good  as  a  sermon  from 
Mr.  Sunday  because  Roland  has  always  been  an  ad- 
mirer of  Mr.  Prince." 

"It  is  a  very  unpleasant  day  to  be  out,"  answered 
Mrs.  Graham,  looking  out  of  the  window.  The  March 
winds  were  blowing  furiously  and  the  trees  were  bend- 
ing before  the  blasts. 

"I  will   take   the   street   car,"    responded   the   girl, 


i8o  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

promptly.    "I  am  not  afraid  of  these  March  breezes." 

In  a  little  while  Joy  Graham  entered  the  private 
office  of  Roland  Gregory.  The  young  manufacturer 
was  alone,  sitting  with  downcast  head,  and  before  he 
was  able  to  glance  up  and  see  who  his  visitor  was,  Joy 
Graham  noticed  a  hardness  about  his  face  which  was 
new  to  her. 

Looking  up  he  arose  somewhat  confused,  but  soon 
regained  his  self-possession  and  greeted  his  fiance  cor- 
dially. 

"What  were  you  thinking  about  just  now?"  asked 
Joy,  when  she  had  seated  herself,  and  removed  her 
wraps. 

She  looked  closely  at  Roland  as  she  asked  the  ques- 
tion and  she  saw  an  uneasy  look  come  to  his  eyes  at 
the  question.  But  he  turned  to  her  lightly  and  asked, 
"And  what  may  your  thoughts  be  this  morning,  my 
Joy?  What  is  on  your  mind  that  you  have  journeyed 
down  to  the  office  such  a  day  as  this?" 

"I  want  to  invite  you  to  come  with  a  party  of  us 
to  Augsley  this  evening.  We  are  going  to  hold  a  meet- 
ing there  and  I  have  promised  to  sing.  I  want  you  as 
an  escort." 

Roland  Gregory's  face  assumed  again  the  hard  look 
which  Joy  had  noticed  when  she  entered  his  office.  He 
was  silent  a  moment  and  said,  a  little  testily: 

"I  thought  we  would  get  a  rest  after  that  clown, 
Sunday,  left  town.  Are  they  going  to  keep  up  this  re- 
ligious nonsense  all  Summer?" 

"Roland,  how  can  you  talk  so?"  responded  the  girl, 
reprovingly.  "You  only  heard  Mr.  Sunday  speak  once 


JOY  GRAHAM  MAKES  A  DISCOVERY     181 

and  George  Caldwell  told  me  you  were  almost  con- 
verted at  that  meeting." 

Roland  Gregory  turned  fiercely  on  her.  "What  did 
George  say  about  it?" 

The  girl  started  at  his  sudden  and  peremptory  ques- 
tion, and  responded  a  little  tartly,  "What's  ailing  you, 
Roland?  You  don't  act  like  you  used  to  do  at  all. 
George  told  me  that  you  almost  decided  to  become  a 
Christian  at  the  meeting  you  attended.  It  was  that 
men's  meeting  when  so  many  of  our  Bronson  men  made 
the  start.  I  wish  you  had  gone  to  the  front  that  day 
along  with  Mr.  Prince."  The  girl's  voice  became 
kinder  as  she  spoke  and  she  finished  in  an  affectionate 
tone  of  voice.  Going  to  the  young  man's  side  she  laid 
her  hand  on  his  shoulder  and  continued,  "Roland,  I 
have  been  praying  for  you  these  last  few  weeks.  I  am 
afraid  unless  you  become  a  Christian  I  will  never  be 
happy  as  your  wife." 

Roland  Gregory  dropped  his  head  and  his  face 
flushed.  He  was  silent,  but  the  girl  waited  a  few  mo- 
ments before  speaking  again. 

"Won't  you  come  with  me  to  Augsley  to-night,  Rol- 
and?" Joy  pleaded  with  him,  earnestly,  her  hand  still 
on  his  shoulder. 

"Who  are  going?"  he  asked  in  a  strained  voice. 

"Mr.  Prince  and  Mr.  Marchmount  and  Dr.  Gracely 
and  a  whole  lot  of  people  that  you  know,"  answered 
the  girl,  quickly.  "Mr.  Nelson  is  going  too.  He  and 
Mr.  Prince  are  to  make  the  speeches." 

At  the  mention  of  Mr.  Nelson's  name  Roland 
frowned. 


1 82  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

"And  Vivian  Derwent  and  a  lot  of  the  young  people 
from  the  Normal  School  are  going,"  continued  Joy,  not 
noticing  the  frown  on  the  other's  face. 

"I  don't  want  to  go  anywhere  that  Nelson  goes.  I 
think  that  young  prig  is  a  fine  Christian." 

Joy  Graham  was  sorry  she  had  mentioned  Regi- 
nald's name  for  she  remembered  that  during  the  taber- 
nacle meetings  Roland  Gregory  had  refused  to  allow 
his  employees  to  use  the  factory  for  a  noon  meeting, 
and  Reginald  had  written  it  up  with  a  big  headline. 
The  article  had  created  a  good  deal  of  discussion  as 
even  saloons  had  permitted  the  Sunday  workers  to 
enter  and  hold  religious  services.  Following  on  the 
former  publicity  which  his  factory  had  received  this 
last  write-up  in  the  Courier  had  angered  Gregory  and 
he  vowed  that  if  there  were  any  more  such  articles 
printed  he  would  visit  the  Courier  office  in  person. 

"You  always  admired  Mr.  Prince,"  said  Joy,  per- 
suadingly.  "Won't  you  come  and  hear  him  give  his 
testimony  to-night.  I  am  going  to  sing,  too." 

"You  are,"  exclaimed  the  other,  "I  think,  Joy,  you 
are  carrying  this  thing  too  far  altogether.  Does  your 
father  approve  of  your  running  around  the  country  in 
this  way?" 

"He  does  not  disapprove,"  answered  the  other, 
stoutly;  "and  mama  thinks  it  is  all  right.  Dr.  Rutledge 
and  his  wife  are  going,  and  she  sings  also.  You  had 
better  come  along,  Roland.  Don't  be  so  contrary." 

"I  have  an  important  business  engagement  this 
evening,"  said  Roland  Gregory,  taking  out  his  watch, 


JO  Y  GRAHAM  MAKES  A  DISCOVER  Y     183 

nervously.  "I  will  let  you  know  this  afternoon  whether 
I  can  go  or  not." 

The  girl  soon  left  the  office,  rather  crestfallen,  and 
puzzled  in  regard  to  her  promised  husband. 

"Roland  seems  to  have  been  changing  these  few 
months,"  she  said  to  herself.  "I  do  not  feel  towards 
his  as  I  used  to.  I  wonder  what  is  wrong."  She 
walked  home  meditatively,  preferring  the  long  walk 
to  the  more  rapid  transit  by  street  car. 

Near  her  own  home  she  met  Allan  Rutledge  face 
to  face. 

"You  will  be  with  us  to-night,  won't  you,  Miss  Gra- 
ham," said  the  minister. 

"Certainly,"  she  responded,  promptly. 

"Mrs.  Rutledge,  you  know,  is  going  to  sing  to- 
night," said  Dr.  Rutledge.  "And  I  think  it  would  be 
very  nice  if  you  and  she  could  also  sing  a  duet.  Can 
you  come  over  this  afternoon  for  a  while  and  prac- 
tice?" 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so,"  responded  Joy,  her  face 
brightening. 

"I  have  a  long  list  of  applicants  for  church  mem- 
bership," continued  the  minister.  "Something  like  five 
hundred  will  join  our  church  next  Sabbath  morning. 
However,  I  am  sorry  to  miss  the  names  of  your  father 
and  of  Roland  Gregory." 

The  girl's  face  fell  and  she  answered  sadly,  "It  is 
too  bad.  Mama  and  I  were  speaking  about  it  this 
morning.  I  have  just  come  from  Roland's  office.  I 
asked  him  to  come  to  Augsley  to-night,  but  I  am 


1 84  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

afraid  he  won't  go.  He  seems  to  avoid  all  religious 
services  of  any  kind." 

"He  was  present  at  one  of  our  most  glorious  serv- 
ices in  the  tabernacle  one  Sunday  afternoon,"  said 
Alan  Rutledge.  "I  noticed  his  close  attention  to  Mr. 
Sunday's  address,  and  at  the  close  George  Caldwell 
found  him  greatly  interested,  but  I  never  saw  him  in 
the  tabernacle  after  that." 

"No,"  responded  the  girl,  "he  left  the  very  next  day 
for  Chicago,  and  did  not  return  until  just  a  day  or 
two  before  the  meetings  closed.  He  seems  to  be  very 
bitter  against  Mr.  Sunday." 

"I  blame  your  father,  somewhat,"  responded  the 
minister,  in  a  sad  tone  of  voice.  "I  am  sure  you  feel 
as  I  do  that  Mr.  Graham  ought  to  have  encouraged 
Mr.  Gregory,  but  I  fear  he  strengthened  him  in  his 
opposition  to  the  meetings." 

The  girl  remained  silent  and  Allan  Rutledge  added, 
quickly,  "Pardon  me,  Miss  Graham,  I  did  not  mean 
to  accuse  your  father  in  your  presence,  but  I  think  you 
will  have  to  be  patient  with  Roland." 

On  that  afternoon  Joy  Graham  called  at  the  Rut- 
ledge  home  to  practice  a  duet  with  Mrs.  Rutledge. 
The  minister's  wife  received  her  cordially  for  she  and 
Joy  Graham  were  now  close  friends. 

"How  your  baby  grows,"  exclaimed  the  girl,  taking 
little  Anne  Rutledge  in  her  arms. 

"I  don't  know  how  I  will  be  able  to  leave  the  children 
so  long  this  evening,"  said  Mrs.  Rutledge,  but  Allan 
wanted  me  to  go  with  the  rest  to  Augsley  and  sing 
'Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul,'  to  the  people  there.  I  sang 


JO  Y  GRAHAM  MAKES  A  DISCOVER  Y     185 

it  once  at  a  shop-meeting  in  Wellington  before  Allan 
and  I  were  married,  and  he  has  never  forgotten  it." 

"I  will  be  so  glad  to  hear  you  sing  to-night  myself," 
said  Joy,  with  enthusiasm,  "but  tell  me  about  that  shop- 
meeting  in  Wellington,  Mrs.  Rutledge." 

The  minister's  wife  related  the  incident  to  the  girl, 
adding  as  she  finished,  "Some  day  I  will  tell  you  a  sad 
tragedy  that  happened  at  Wellington.  I  have  not  time 
to-day,  but  some  time  I  will  tell  you.  It  is  about  a 
beautiful  young  Bohemian  girl,  Viola  Antol,  who  was 
killed  by  her  false  lover.  The  sad  death  of  Mae  Mo- 
bray,  one  of  the  girls  at  the  Gregory  factory,  reminded 
Allan  of  the  tragedy  in  Iowa  and  we  were  speaking  of 
it  not  long  ago." 

"What  became  of  poor  Mae's  mother?"  asked  Joy, 
sympathetically. 

"Did  you  not  know  that  the  church  is  supporting 
her.  Poor  woman,  she  is  utterly  desolate.  Some  day 
I  will  take  you  out  to  see  her." 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  go,"  responded  Joy.  "Let  us  go 
to-morrow." 

Before  leaving  the  Rutledge  home  Joy  Graham 
called  up  Roland  Gregory  on  the  telephone  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  decided  to  accompany  her  to  Augsley. 
The  young  man  answered  in  the  negative,  pleading  his 
business  engagement. 

"Before  I  knew  of  your  engagement  to  Roland  Greg- 
ory," said  Mrs.  Rutledge,  "I  used  to  think  that  you 
and  Reginald  Nelson  made  the  finest  couple  I  had  seen 
in  Michigan,  but  poor  Reginald  arrived  on  the  scene 
too  late  for  victory,  didn't  he,  Joy?" 


1 86  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

Mrs.  Rutledge  spoke  playfully,  but  she  noticed  Joy's 
face  suddenly  assume  a  serious  look.  The  minister's 
wife  changed  the  subject  and  the  two  friends  soon 
parted. 

"Our  duet  will  be  a  success,  I  am  sure,"  said  Mrs. 
Rutledge  as  she  bade  Joy  good-bye. 

It  was  a  happy  crowd  of  crusaders  who  journeyed 
that  evening  to  Augsley.  The  meeting  was  even  more 
of  a  success  than  Allan  Rutledge  had  hoped.  The 
energetic  spirit  of  the  ex-baseball  star  had  permeated 
the  entire  vicinity  of  Bronson,  and  the  few  church 
members  at  Augsley  had  taken  on  new  life  and  had 
widely  advertised  the  coming  of  the  Bronson  party. 
The  church  in  which  the  meeting  was  held  was  the 
largest  in  the  village,  but  it  was  crowded  to  overflowing 
and  a  second  meeting  was  arranged  hastily  at  another 
church.  The  songs  of  Joy  Graham  and  Mrs.  Rutledge 
were  listened  to  with  absorbing  interest,  and  as  Allan 
Rutledge  heard  his  wife  sing  the  old,  but  ever  new 
hymn  of  trust,  "Jesus,  Lover  of  my  soul,  let  me  to* 
Thy  bosom  fly,"  he  was  carried  back  in  imagination  to 
scenes  in  his  ministry  in  Wellington  when  he  had  first 
heard  his  wife  sing,  and  first  began  to  understand  the 
tremendous  power  of  Christian  song. 

Edgar  Prince,  the  manufacturer,  of  Bronson,  was 
the  first  speaker,  and  his  testimony  was  listened  to 
with  the  closest  attention. 

"We  business  men  in  Bronson  have  seen  a  great 
light,"  he  began.  "If  any  one  had  told  me  two  months 
ago  that  I  would  be  addressing  an  audience  at  a  re- 
ligious service  I  would  have  laughed  with  scorn.  But 


JOY  GRAHAM  MAKES  A  DISCOVERY     187 

here  I  am  to-night  able  to  bear  witness  that  Jesus  can 
save  even  a  manufacturer.  Let  Jesus  into  your  hearts, 
men,"  he  exclaimed,  "and  he  will  make  your  whole 
life  over  as  he  has  made  mine  in  the  past  few  weeks." 

He  then  told  how  he  had  first  been  arrested  by  a 
statement  of  the  evangelist  who  quoted  the  Bible  where 
it  says,  "The  wages  of  sin  is  death." 

"I  couldn't  get  away  from  those  words,"  he  declared, 
earnestly.  "I  felt  that  I  was  a  sinner  and  that  my  only 
hope  of  salvation  was  in  the  Savior." 

Thomas  Marchmount  also  spoke,  telling  of  his  con- 
version to  Christianity  years  before  and  of  his  long 
apostacy. 

"We  have  left  God  out  of  our  lives  in  Bronson  for 
a  good  many  years,  but  things  have  changed.  I  am 
happier  to-night  than  I  have  been  in  thirty  years." 

The  veteran  editor  broke  down  and  finished  his 
speech  with  breaking  voice.  The  entire  audience  was 
greatly  stirred  and  Allan  Rutledge  said  to  himself, 
"The  same  Spirit  that  blessed  us  in  the  tabernacle  in 
Bronson  is  here  to-night." 

The  last  speaker  was  Reginald  Nelson.  Before  in- 
troducing him  Allan  Rutledge  asked  Joy  Graham  and 
his  wife  to  sing  their  duet.  They  chose  the  touching 
hymn  of  Irene  Durfee,  "Somebody  Cares." 

The  voices  of  the  two  beautiful  singers  blended  into 
exquisite  harmony  as  they  sang  the  chorus, 
"Somebody  cares  for  me, 
Somebody  cares  for  me, 
In  all  my  life  his  kind  hand  I  see, 
Somebody  cares,  'tis  Jesus." 


i88  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

Amid  breathless  silence  Reginald  Nelson  arose  to 
speak. 

"This  is  my  first  attempt  at  a  religious  address,"  he 
began,  "but  I  feel  to-night  that  if  I  kept  still  the  very 
stones  would  cry  out.  Men,  this  is  real.  We  have  had 
a  wonderful  revival  of  the  old-time  religion  in  Bronson. 
I  want  to  add  my  testimony  to  that  of  Mr.  Prince  and 
Mr.  Marchmount.  I  have  surrendered  my  life  to 
Jesus  Christ,  who  was  my  mother's  Savior,  and  I  can 
see  His  kind  hand  in  all  my  life.  Decide  to-night,  my 
friends,  to  live  the  kind  of  life  you  know  you  ought  to 
live." 

He  then  told  of  his  former  objections  to  the 
Christian  religion  and  how  fully  all  his  doubts  and 
questionings  were  answered  the  moment  he  decided  to 
live  for  God. 

Allan  Rutledge  then  took  charge  of  the  meeting  and 
a  call  was  made  for  penitents.  They  began  to  stream 
towards  the  front,  until  full  two  score  confessed  their 
sins. 

The  crusaders  returned  astonished  and  delighted. 
"Is  it  not  remarkable,"  said  Mr.  Townley,  who  was 
greatly  moved  by  the  talks  of  the  business  men.  "Is  it 
not  remarkable  to  see  and  hear  such  things  as  we  have 
seen  and  heard  to-night?" 

"Ah,  Mr.  Townley,"  responded  Allan  Rutledge, 
"we  need  a  'Billy'  Sunday  once  in  a  while  to  remind  us 
of  the  simplest  Gospel  facts.  In  the  lightof  Christian 
history  what  we  have  seen  to-night  is  nothing  at  all  un- 
usual when  men  have  really  become  sincere  in  their 
Christian  faith." 


JO  Y  GRAHAM  MAKES  A  DISCOVER  Y     189 

"But  much  work  still  needs  to  be  done  in  Bronson," 
remarked  Mr.  Townley. 

"Certainly,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  quickly.  "We  are 
only  beginning.  Before  very  long  I  am  going  to  pro- 
pose a  new  plan  of  campaign  that  will  astound  the 
enemy  in  Bronson  more  than  the  tabernacle  meetings." 

"You  are  God's  man,  Dr.  Rutledge,"  said  the  other, 
earnestly.  "All  my  scepticism  about  your  methods  has 
gone." 

Alone  in  her  room  after  her  return  late  at  night  to 
her  home,  Joy  Graham  went  over  the  events  of  the  day. 
She  sat  in  deep  study  reflecting  over  her  past  life  and 
at  last  she  started  up  as  the  clock  struck  one  o'clock. 

"I  am  afraid  I  have  made  a  mistake,"  she  sighed. 
"I  ought  never  to  have  pledged  myself  to  Roland." 

One  sentence  remained  with  her  all  the  long  hours. 
It  was  the  playful  speech  of  Mrs.  Rutlectge  when  she 
said,  "I  thought  you  and  Reginald  Nelson  the  finest 
couple  I  had  seen  in  Michigan." 

Joy  Graham  contrasted  Roland  Gregory  and  the  city 
editor  of  the  Courier. 

"The  one  is  a  consecrated  Christian  gentleman;  the 
other — "  She  dared  not  finish  her  speech. 

"Is  it  too  late?"  she  questioned.  "Can  I  break  my 
pledged  word  with  Roland?" 

She  remembered  the  story  of  Anne  Rutledge  and 
how  she  remained  true  to  her  first  lover  even  after  he 
had  proven  false  until  he  would  release  her,  and  how 
Mrs.  Rutledge,  in  telling  it,  had  commended  her  for 
this  high  principle. 


1 90  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"I  am  pledged  to  Roland,"  she  decided,  "but  if  he 
will  release  me  I  will  be  free." 

Then  conscience  upbraided  her.  It  was  her  duty  to 
be  loyal  to  her  betrothed  husband.  The  engagement 
had  been  announced.  She  must  be  true  to  him  and  win 
him  to  the  Christian  faith.  If  she  deserted  him  would 
he  not  be  justified  in  despising  Christianity?  Alas,  for 
Joy  Graham. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  MOTHER'S  BROKEN  HEART. 

The  day  following  the  excursion  of  the  Bronson  lay- 
gospellers  to  Augsley,  Joy  Graham  and  Mrs.  Rutledge 
visited  the  lonely  mother  of  the  hapless  Mae  Mobray 
It  was  a  pleasant  March  day,  and  they  took  with  them 
little  Anna  and  Abraham. 

"It  will  do  the  poor  woman  good  to  see  the  chil- 
dren," said  Mrs.  Rutledge.  They  found  Mrs.  Mobray 
alone  in  her  desolate  little  home..  The  childless  widow 
was  roused  somewhat  from  her  melancholy  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  two  young  women,  and  especially  by 
the  sunshine  of  the  children's  presence.  Charles  Dickens 
was  a  lover  of  children  and  it  was  he  who  wrote 
these  touching  words  in  regard  to  their  influence : 

"They  are  idols  of  hearts  and  of  households; 

They  are  angels  of  God,  in  disguise; 

His  sunlight  still  sleeps  in  their  tresses, 

His  glory  still  gleams  in  their  eyes. 

Oh,  those  truants  from  home  and  from  heaven, 

They  make  me  more  manly  and  mild; 

And  I  know  now  how  Jesus  can  liken 

The  Kingdom  of  God  to  a  child." 


191 


1 92  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"The  blessed  babe,"  said  Mrs.  Mobray  as  she 
fondled  in  her  empty  arms  little  Anna  Rutledge.  "I 
remember  when  my  poor  Mae  was  a  baby.  Oh,  we 
were  so  happy  then.  Mr.  Mobray  was  such  a  good 
husband.  We  lived  then  at  Augsley,  a  little  place  near 
here." 

"Augsley,"  exclaimed  Joy  Graham,  "why  we  were  at 
Augsley  last  night.  I  wish  you  could  have  been  with 
us.  A  company  of  Bronson  people  went  there  and  held 
a  meeting." 

Joy  Graham  then  told  of  the  meeting  and  of  the 
number  of  penitents  who  came  forward  to  reward  the 
efforts  of  the  party  of  campaigners. 

"The  sight  of  Augsley  would  drive  me  mad,"  said 
the  woman.  "I  would  be  reminded  at  every  step  of  my 
former  happiness  and  it  would  make  this  present  life  of 
misery  in  Bronson  unbearable  altogether." 

"Cheer  up,  cheer  up,"  said  Mrs.  Rutledge,  in  a 
bright  tone.  "You  have  many  friends  in  Bronson. 
After  you  get  a  little  stronger  Dr.  Rutledge  wants  to 
engage  you  as  baby-tender  at  the  church." 

"Baby-tender?"  interposed  Joy  Graham,  question- 
ingly. 

"Yes,"  explained  the  minister's  wife,  "we  are  going 
to  set  apart  a  room  in  the  church  where  tired  mothers 
can  leave  their  babies  when  they  come  to  the  services, 
and  Dr.  Rutledge  thought  that  Mrs.  Mobray  would  be 
just  the  one  to  take  charge  of  it." 

The  eyes  of  the  woman  brightened  as  she  listened. 

"I  had  not  heard  of  that,"  she  said,  quickly.     "I 


A  MOTHER'S  BROKEN  HEART        193 

would  just  love  to  do  work  like  that,  and  then  I  would 
feel  that  I  was  worth  something  after  all." 

"Of  course,  you  are  worth  something,"  said  Mrs. 
Rutledge,  encouragingly.  You  are  worth  more  than 
all  the  world  in  God's  sight,  you  know." 

The  woman  was  silent  for  a  moment  and  then  shook 
her  head. 

"It  has  been  very  dark  to  me  since  Mae — "  Here 
the  unfortunate  mother  found  relief  in  tears,  being  un- 
able to  say  more. 

Mrs.  Rutledge  knew  that  tears  would  be  an  allevia- 
tion to  the  overburdened  heart  of  the  woman,  so  she 
arose  and  put  her  arms  around  her  and  let  her  weep 
unrestrainedly. 

When  the  paroxysm  of  grief  was  over  Mrs.  Mobray 
dried  her  eyes  and  spoke  brokenly.  "I  know  it  is 
wrong  for  me  to  nurse  my  sorrow  as  I  do,  but  I  have 
been  so  crushed.  If  it  had  not  been  for  Dr.  Rutledge 
I  should  have  gone  mad  and  died  long  before  this." 

When  Mrs.  Mobray  began  to  weep  Joy  Graham  had 
taken  little  Anna  out  of  the  widow's  arms  and  had  led 
Abraham  into  an  adjoining  room,  so  that  the  minister's 
wife  and  Mrs.  Mobray  were  left  alone. 

"The  world  will  grow  brighter  to  you  after  a  while,>ri 
said  Mrs.  Rutledge.  "Do  not  despair.  There  is  much 
to  live  for,  you  know." 

"Who  is  the  young  lady,  Miss  Graham,  who  is  with 
you?"  asked  Mrs.  Mobray. 

"Don't  you  know  Joy  Graham?"  said  the  other,  in 
surprise.  "She  often  sings  at  the  church.  She  is  en- 
gaged to  be  married  to  Mr.  Gregory."- 


i94  THE  VISION.  OF  JOY. 

"I  thought  I  had  seen  her  before,"  said  the  woman, 
"but  you  know  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  out  to 
church  for  a  long  time.  I  only  was  able  to  attend  a 
very  few  of  the  tabernacle  meetings.  Did  you  say  that 
she  is  engaged  to  be  married?" 

"Yes,"  responded  Mrs.  Rutledge,  in  a  low  voice. 
"She  and  Mr.  Roland  Gregory  are  to  be  married  in  the 
Fall." 

"Do  you  mean  the  Mr.  Gregory  who  owns  the  fac- 
tory where  Mae  worked?" 

"Yes,"  responded  Mrs.  Rutledge. 

"I  don't  think  he's  a  good  man,"  said  the  mother, 
her  tears  coming  back.  "Mae  used  to  tell  me  of  the 
kind  of  place  the  factory  was  when  she  first  went 
there.  She  didn't  complain  about  it  after  their  big 
strike,  but  I  am  afraid  the  poor  girl  allowed  the  influ- 
ence of  the  place  to  spoil  her." 

Just  then  Joy  Graham  appeared  at  the  door  with  the 
children,  and  was  about  to  enter,  but  Mrs.  Rut- 
ledge  waved  her  back  as  the  tears  had  once  more 
started  to  the  eyes  of  the  widow.  The  two  women 
were  left  alone  and  then  Mrs.  Rutledge  enquired  re- 
garding her  young  daughter's  life  at  the  factory  and 
the  circumstances  of  her  death. 

"Dr.  Rutledge  told  me  to  enquire  fully  in  regard  to 
this,  or  I  would  not  trouble  you,"  said  the  minister's 
wife,  kindly.  "He  thinks  that  poor  Mae  was  sadly 
sinned  against,  and  he  thinks  the  case  ought  to  be  in- 
vestigated. Don't  be  afraid  to  tell  me  everything." 

The  poor  mother  seemed  glad  to  relieve  her  soul  by 
telling  in  detail  all  that  she  knew  in  regard  to  her 


A  MOTHER'S  BROKEN  HEART        19$ 

daughter.  "I  wanted  to  tell  all  this  to  some  one,"  she 
said,  as  she  finished,  "but  it  is  a  terrible  thing  for  me 
to  speak  of  these  things  unless  to  someone  like  you." 

"Here  is  the  ring  Mae  had  on  her  finger,"  said  the 
woman,  tearfully,  handing  a  beautiful  marriage  ring 
to  Mrs.  Rutledge.  "I  did  not  say  anything  about  this 
to  any  one  before  as  I  thought  I  would  let  the  poor 
girl's  secret  die  with  her,  but  something  tells  me  I 
ought  to  tell  the  whole  truth." 

"You  will  feel  better  after  this  confession,"  said 
Mrs.  Rutledge,  sympathetically.  "I  will  give  this  ring 
to  Dr.  Rutledge.  It  will  help  solve  the  tragedy  and 
may  prevent  another.  There  are  some  men  in  our 
modern  American  life,  often  in  honored  positions, 
whose  private  lives  are  unspeakable." 

"I  don't  want  poor  Mae  avenged,"  said  the  mother, 
"but  I  would  go  through 'hell,  I  think,  to  save  any 
other  mother  from  the  tortures  I  have  endured." 

Mrs.  Rutledge  looked  at  her  companion  in  sym- 
pathy. "You  have  not  suffered  in  vain,"  she  said,  soft- 
ly. "Out  of  such  suffering  as  yours  God  is  bringing 
redemption  to  our  world." 

The  conversation  had  aroused  Mrs.  Mobray  and 
there  was  a  new  light  in  her  eyes  as  she  said,  "This  visit 
of  yours  has  helped  me.  I  was  so  miserable  when  you 
came  that  I  felt  I  could  not  live  another  day,  but  some- 
way I  feel  different." 

"Come,  Joy,"  cried  Mrs.  Rutledge  to  her  friend  in 
the  adjoining  room.  Joy  Graham  had  closed  the  door 
and  was  amusing  Abraham  and  Anna  while  the  conver- 
sation between  the  two  women  was  going  on. 


196  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"I  want  to  go  home,  mama,"  said  the  little  fellow, 
running  up  to  his  mother  as  Joy  opened  the  door  of 
the  adjoining  room. 

"What  a  manly  boy,"  said  Mrs.  Mobray.  "You 
are  surely  proud  of  your  little  son." 

"You  know  every  mother  thinks  her  babies  are  the 
best  that  ever  were,"  said  Mrs.  Rutledge,  smilingly, 
"and  I  am  no  exception." 

On  their  way  home  Mrs.  Rutledge  told  of  her  hus- 
band's efforts  to  assist  Mrs.  Mobray. 

"He  interested  some  of  the  business  men  in  her  sad 
case,"  said  Mrs.  Rutledge,  "and  they  were  able  to  buy 
that  little  cottage  in  which  she  lives  and  give  it  to  her. 
The  church  has  been  supporting  her,  as  she  and  her 
daughter  barely  made  a  living,  and  since  Mae's  death 
the  poor  woman  has  been  altogether  unable  to  work." 

"What  did  she  talk  to  you  about  for  so  long  when 
you  were  together?"  asked  Joy  later,  moved  by  a  not 
unnatural  curiosity. 

"She  was  telling  me  some  more  of  the  details  con- 
nected with  the  sad  fate  of  her  daughter.  I  cannot  tell 
you  about  it  now,  but  some  time  I  will.  Dr.  Rutledge 
asked  me  to  find  out." 

That  evening  Mrs.  Rutledge  told  her  husband  Mrs. 
Mobray's  story  in  full  and  also  gave  him  the  ring 
which  the  woman  had  given  her. 

"I  thought  there  was  more  that  she  knew,"  said  Al- 
lan Rutledge,  seriously,  when  his  wife  had  finished.  "I 
have  some  dark  suspicions  already  but  I  will  not  allow 
them  to  influence  me  until  I  get  proof.  If  Mae  Mo- 
bray was  murdered  there  must  be  something  done. 


A  MOTHER'S  BROKEN  HEART        197 

Justice  must  not  become  a  byword  in  Bronson  just  be- 
cause the  victim  happens  to  be  a  poor  girl." 

"I  was  telling  Mrs.  Mobray  about  your  plan  to 
make  her  official  baby-tender  at  the  church,"  said  the 
wife  a  little  later,  "and  she  seemed  delighted  with  the 
prospects.  We  must  arouse  the  woman  and  get  her 
interested  in  some  kind  of  work.  Her  condition  was 
pitiable  when  I  called  to-day,  but  I  think  Joy  and  I  did 
her  some  good." 

"What  a  treasure  of  a  girl  Joy  Graham  is,"  said  Dr. 
Rutledge,  enthusiastcally,  "but  I  can't  bear  the  thought 
of  her  marrying  Roland  Gregory." 

"She  spoke  to  me  this  afternoon  about  Roland.  She 
thinks  it  is  part  of  her  duty  to  win  him  to  the  better 
life." 

"I  never  believed  in  this  business  of  marrying  men 
to  reform  them.  It  never  worked  yet  and  it  never  will. 
It  only  means  broken  hearts  and  two  wrecked  lives  in- 
stead of  one."  The  minister  spoke  earnestly  and  ad- 
ded, "I  am  going  to  preach  soon  from  the  text,  'Be 
not  unequally  yoked  together  with  unbelievers,'  and  I 
shall  say  some  pertinent  things  on  this  very  subject." 

"Your  sermon  will  be  too  late  to  help  Joy,"  said 
the  wife,  shaking  her  head.  "She  has  already  plighted 
her  troth  to  Roland  and  she  feels  that  she  is  already 
bound  to  him.  She  spoke  to  me  a  little  about  it  to- 
day." 

Dr.  Rutledge  looked  grave  and  the  conversation  was 
interrupted  by  the  entrance  of  little  Abraham  in  his 
pajamas  to  say  good-night.  The  mother  left  the 


198  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

room  with  her  son,  and  Allan  Rutledge  sat  alone  with 
his  thoughts. 

In  his  hand  he  still  held  the  ring  which  Mrs.  Mobray 
had  given  to  his  wife.  He  looked  at  the  gold  band  for 
a  moment  and  then  said  to  himself,  "Pledge  of  false- 
hood and  token  of  cruelty,  you  represent  to  me  all  that 
is  lowest  and  vilest  in  the  soul  of  a  man.  Speak, 
guilty  ring,  and  tell  me  your  fatal  secret." 

The  ring  lay,  shining  and  beautiful,  in  the  palm  of 
his  hand. 

"No,"  he  continued,  speaking  aloud,  "beautiful  ring 
of  gold,  thou  art  innocent.  Alas,  how  the  most  sacred 
things  are  trampled  under  foot  by  swinish  men." 

He  examined  the  ring  closely,  and  noticed  a  little 
number  stamped  on  the  inside,  along  with  a  special 
trade  mark. 

"I  can  get  this  ring  identified,"  he  said  to  himself, 
quickly,  as  he  looked  at  the  distinguishing  mark  on  the 
ring.  "I  shall  send  it  to-morrow  to  a  detective  agency 
in  Chicago.  This  ring  will  tell  its  secret  and  if  there 
is  blood  on  it  the  murder  will  out." 

He  put  the  ring  carefully  in  a  drawer  in  his  desk 
expecting  to  send  it  to  Chicago  the  following  day,  but 
that  very  night  he  had  a  visitor  who  drove  all  thought 
of  the  ring  out  of  his  mind. 

Soon  after  Allan  Rutledge  deposited  the  fatal  ring 
in  the  drawer  his  door  bell  ring.  He  arose  and  went 
to  the  door  himself,  and  was  somewhat  surprised  to  see 
Reginald  Nelson  standing  there. 

"Come  in,  Mr.  Nelson,"  he  said,  cordially,  grasping 
the,  city  reporter's  hand. 


A  MOTHER'S  BROKEN  HEART        199 

Reginald  entered  and  apologized  for  his  late  visit. 
"I  thought  I  would  likely  catch  you  at  home  at  this 
time,"  he  said,  in  an  apologetic  tone,  "and  I  wanted  to 
see  you  alone." 

"What  has  happened  now?"  asked  the  minister,  no- 
ticing the  earnest  look  on  Reginald's  face. 

"I  have  learned  some  things  today  which  make  me 
feel  that  we  must  not  think  the  millenium  has  come  to 
Bronson  yet,"  said  the  other,  seating  himself  by  the 
comfortable  grate  fire.  "While  a  number  of  us  were 
trying  to  serve  God  in  Augsley  last  night  the  devil  was 
busy  in  Bronson." 

"It  seems  that  every  evil  resort  in  Bronson  has  re- 
doubled its  efforts  since  the  close  of  the  tabernacle 
meetings,"  continued  Reginald,  gazing  into  the  fire. 
"While  we  had  Mr.  Sunday  with  us  I  understand  that 
the  saloons  and  gambling  dens  and  the  other  resorts 
were  almost  deserted.  Many  of  the  fellows  who  pat- 
ronized these  places  were  converted,  and  there  is  a  de- 
termined effort  being  made  to  win  the  poor  young  con- 
verts back  to  the  old  life." 

Allan  Rutledge  looked  grave.  "I  had  been  plan- 
ning an  attack  on  the  social  institutions  of  iniquity  but 
I  did  not  think  we  would  need  to  be  in  a  hurry." 

"That  is  just  why  I  called  tonight,"  said  Reginald, 
hastily.  "I  knew  that  you  were  planning  to  give  a 
good  deal  of  your  time  to  evangelistic  work  in  neigh- 
boring towns  for  a  month  or  two.  Excuse  me  for  say- 
ing it,  but  I  think  it  is  a  mistake.  The  iron  is  hot  in 
Bronson  now;  let  us  strike  at  once." 


2OO 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  the  minister,  surprised 
to  see  the  earnestness  of  the  newspaper  reporter. 

"Well,"  began  Reginald,  "last  night  some  6f  the 
weaker  converts  were  lured  into  a  haunt  of  vice,  filled 
with  liquor,  and  disgraced.  One  of  them  happened  to 
be  a  young  man  from  a  respectable  family,  and  in  mak- 
ing his  way  home  he  got  into  the  wrong  house,  and 
awoke  the  neighborhood.  That  is  how  I  happened  to 
hear  about  it.  The  family  came  to  the  Courier  office 
in  awful  distress  and  they  want  us  to  say  nothing  about 
it." 

"It  is  very  plain,  isn't  it,"  said  the  minister,  with  a 
touch  of  bitterness  in  his  voice,  "that  the  devil  is  not 
dead,  nor  has  he  turned  Christian." 

"Mr.  Marchmount  was  at  first  going  to  suppress  the 
matter,  but  as  he  thought  it  over  he  felt  assured  that 
he  would  publish  it  if  the  offence  had  been  committed 
by  some  one  of  no  social  standing  and  he  decided  to 
treat  this  case  exactly  as  he  would  any  other.  There 
is  going  to  be  quite  a  write-up  in  tomorrow's  paper 
about  the  affair.  I  am  sorry.  It  seems  to  show  that 
Mr.  Sunday's  work  was  very  superficial,  but  I  know  it 
was  real."  The  young  man  spoke  the  words,  "I  know," 
with  emphasis. 

Allan  Rutledge  sat  in  silence  and  the  two  men  gazed 
into  the  glowing  fire. 

"I  have  been  roused  to  action  by  the  scorn  of  the 
enemy,"  said  Reginald,  after  a  long  pause.  "I  met  Mr. 
McCrea  this  afternoon,  and  he  leered  in  my  face  and 
aske.d  me  if  I  was  going  to  tell  all  about  the  actions  of 
some  of  'Billy's'  converts." 


NO,  BEAUTIFUL  RING  OF   GOLD,   THOU   ART  INNOCENT. 


A  MOTHER'S  BROKEN  HEART       201 

"Did  he  dare  to  do  that?"  asked  Allan  Rutledge,  in- 
credulously. 

"H°  made  a  mistake  when  he  roused  me  as  he  did," 
responded  the  reporter.  "I  told  him  right  then  that  I 
(was  convinced  that  even  Gabriel  himself  would  need 
fumigating  if  he  associated  with  some  of  the  people  of 
Bronson  before  he  could  return  to  heaven." 

The  minister  laughed  and  said,  "You  seem  to  be  get- 
ting the  Sundayesque  style." 

"I  admit  I  was  angry  with  McCrea,"  said  the  young 
man;  "but,  seriously,  Dr.  Rutledge,  unless  we  can  do 
something  to  heal  these  open  sores  in  our  social  life  a 
large  number  of  these  young  converts  will  surely  back- 
slide. Let  us  begin  action  at  once  for  the  cleaning  up 
of  Bronson." 

"I  have  been  regretting  very  much  that  our  council 
did  not  come  under  the  Sunday  influence  more,"  said 
the  minister.  "If  only  the  mayor  and  a  majority  of 
the  council  had  been  converted  we  could  have  ousted 
these  evil  places  in  a  week.  That  is  what  has  hap- 
pened in  a  number  of  Iowa  towns  after  Mr.  Sunday's 
meetings." 

"McCrea  knew  that  and  he  used  all  his  power  with 
the  city  administration  to  keep  them  away  from  the 
tabernacle." 

"Our  present  city  administration  represented  very 
well  the  old  Bronson,  but  they  misrepresent  the  new 
Bronson,"  said  Allan  Rutledge. 

"But  the  trouble  is,"  persisted  Reginald,  "that  the 
old  administration  keep  in  power  until  next  election 
and  I  fear  that  by  that  time  our  newly  recruited  forces 


202  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

of  righteousness  will  be  sadly  weakened  by  desertions 
unless  we  can  arouse  strong  public  sentiment  against 
these  open  and  protected  evils.  We  must  begin  a 
fight  for  civic  decency  at  once." 

"What  do  you  propose?"  asked  the  minister,  sur- 
prised to  see  the  grasp  of  the  situation  shown  by  the 
young  man. 

"I  was  reading  in  my  Bible  the  other  day,"  began 
the  other,  "and  I  turned  to  the  book  of  Nehemiah.  I 
like  Nehemiah  someway.  He  seems  so  modern  and 
practical  to  me.  When  he  came  to  Jerusalem  to  assist 
the  people  in  rebuilding  the  ruined  city  the  first  thing 
he  did  was  to  arise  by  night  and  make  a  night  circuit  of 
the  city.  You  remember  the  incident?" 

Allan  Rutledge  nodded,  and  the  city  reporter  of  the 
Courier  continued,  "With  a  few  friends  Nehemiah  went 
around  valley  gate,  dung  gate,  the  jackal's  wall,  and 
viewed  the  broken  down  walls  of  the  once  proud  city 
of  Zion.  After  this  investigation  he  called  the  people 
together,  described  the  desolation  of  the  city  and  cried, 
'Let  us  arise  and  build.'  I  think  we  ought  to  imitate 
the  ancient  patriot.." 

"The  Bible  is  a  practical  book  to  you,  I  see,"  re- 
marked the  minister,  smiling. 

"This  is  a  practical  world,"  replied  the  other. 
"What  do  you  think  of  my  plan?" 

"What  exactly  is  your  plan?"  asked  Allan  Rutledge, 
becoming  more  earnest.  "You  have  told  me  of  the 
methods  of  Nehemiah,  but  Bronson  is  not  broken  down 
in  exactly  the  same  way  as  ancient  Jerusalem." 

"I  want  you  and  Mr.  Townley  to  accompany  me 


A  MOTHER'S  BROKEN  HEART       203 

through  Bronson  in  the  night  time.  I  will  engage  the 
services  of  a  policeman,  who  I  know  will  consent  to 
guide  us,  and  we  will  see  things  that  are  done  under  the 
cover  of  night  in  this  city." 

"What  night  do  you  propose  to  go  on  this  scouting 
expedition?"  enquired  the  other. 

"The  sooner  the  better.  Let  it  be  tomorrow  night. 
We  can  make  the  arrangements  tomorrow.  We  will 
start  from  the  Courier  office  at  eleven  o'clock." 

4 'Will  that  not  be  a  little  late?"  said  Dr.  Rutledge, 
questioningly. 

"Bronson's  underworld  awakes  when  others  sink  to 
sleep,"  responded  Reginald.  "I  have  been  making  a 
complete  sociological  survey  of  our  city  for  some  time. 
This  midnight  tour  will  almost  complete  my  investiga- 
tions." 

Allan  Rutledge  consented,  somewhat  reluctantly,  to 
join  in  Reginald's  expedition.  "It  will  be  a  painful 
night  for  me,"  he  said  to  himself,  "but  I  remember 
reading  in  one  of  Spurgeon's  sermons  that  it  required 
the  sight  of  iniquity  sometimes  to  arouse  us  to  proper 
activity  in  behalf  of  righteousness."  x 

Before  the  two  friends  separated  Allan  Rutledge 
asked  Reginald  what  impelled  him  to  take  the  interest 
he  did  in  social  and  civic  affairs. 

"It  seems  strange  to  me  to  see  a  young  man  like  you 
throw  himself  into  a  fight  for  the  common  weal  as  you 
are  doing,"  said  the  minister. 

"Do  not  give  me  any  praise  for  it,"  replied  the  other. 
"Before  I  left  England  I  felt  this  fire  in  my  bones,  and 
over  there  it  meant  grief  and  loss  to  me.  I  expect  it 


204  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

may  mean  the  same  for  me  in  the  new  world  eventually, 
but  I  cannot  help  it.  Unless  I  am  engaged  in  some 
such  fight  life  would  lose  all  interest  and  zest  for  me." 
"He  is  a  strange  kind  of  immigrant,"  said  Allan  Rut- 
ledge  to  himself,  as  he  returned  to  the  room  after  bid- 
ding Reginald  good-night.  "I  am  afraid  he  may  find 
his  pathway  a  little  rough  as  I  did  at  first  in  Welling- 
ton." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

A  MIDNIGHT  TOUR. 

It  was  night.  The  mantle  of  darkness  covered  the 
city  of  Bronson  and  invited  everyone  to  peaceful  slum- 
ber and  rest.  Most  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  fair  city 
of  Michigan  were  already  enjoying  their  nightly  cup 
of  Lethe's  water  and  in  the  Elysian  fields  of  sleep  were 
resting  from  every  form  of  earth's  activities.  With 
the  exception  of  here  and  there  a  little  fever-distressed 
victim  the  children  were  all  in  dreamland,  and  many  a 
tired  mother  had  forgotten  all  her  cares  under  the  min- 
istrations of  the  kindly  night. 

But  at  the  home  of  Allan  Rutledge,  the  minister  and 
his  wife  sat  together  in  the  study  wide  awake.  Dr. 
Rutledge  was  dressed  for  the  street  and  his  overcoat 
and  hat  were  in  his  hands. 

"You  had  better  go  to  bed,  dear,"  the  minister  was 
saying.  "There  is  absolutely  no  danger  in  this  mid- 
night tour  of  ours.  We  will  have  a  policeman  with 
us,  and  we  shall  do  nothing  except  observe  what  is  tak- 
ing place  in  our  city  under  sanction  of  our  city's  govern- 
ment." 

"I  am  afraid  that  in  these  lawless  places  some  one 
may  hurt  you,  Allan,"  answered  the  wife,  with  an  anx- 
ious look.  "I  don't  like  this  excursion  of  yours." 

205 


206  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"Well,  dear,  I  didn't  plan  it,  you  know,  but  Mr.  Nel- 
son almost  insisted  that  I  should  accompany  him.  Mr. 
Townley  was  anxious  to  go.  He  said  today  that  he 
had  been  wishing  to  make  a  social  survey  of  Bronson 
by  night  himself,  and  he  was  delighted  with  the  oppor- 
tunity." 

"It  may  be  all  right,  Allan,  but  someway  I  dread  it.'* 
Mrs.  Rutledge  shuddered  as  she.  spoke. 

"Nothing  will  harm  us,"  responded  her  husband, 
confidently.  "We  are  on  an  errand  for  our  King.  I 
believe  myself  that  Christian  people  allow  evil  to  pre- 
vail as  it  does  largely  because  they  are  so  ignorant  of 
Satan's  devices  in  our  day." 

The  minister  arose  to  leave.  "Good-bye,"  he  said, 
tenderly  to  his  wife.  "Go  to  bed,  and  I  will  let  myself 
in  with  the  night-key.  I  will  be  home  about  one 
o'clock." 

"I  shall  sit  up  for  you,"  she  answered,  firmly.  "I 
cannot  sleep  while  you  are  away  on  such  an  errand  as 
takes  you  out  tonight.  Remember  I  will  be  praying 
for  you." 

Husband  and  wife  kissed  each  other  and  Allan  Rut- 
ledge  started  out  on  his  way  to  the  Courier  office. 

It  was  the  night  following  the  visit  of  Reginald  Nel- 
son to  the  minister's  home.  That  day  the  plans  for  the 
midnight  tour  of  Bronson  had  been  completed.  Mr. 
Townley  was  enthusiastic  and  heartily  joined  in  the  en- 
terprise. Mr.  Marchmount  was  also  in  favor  of  the 
investigation. 

"We  need  full  and  accurate  information,"  he  de- 
clared at  a  little  conference  which  the  investigators  held 


A  MIDNIGHT  TOUR  207 

in  the  afternoon,  "before  we  can  make  any  charges. 
We  must  inform  the  people  exactly  what  the  present  city 
administration  stands  for,  and  after  that,  if  you  find 
the  facts  as  they  are  vaguely  reported,  we  will  have  no 
trouble  in  arousing  a  reform  sentiment,  and  in  electing 
a  reform  administration  at  the  fall  election." 

Mr.  Marchmount  refused  to  accompany  them,  how- 
ever, pleading  his  advanced  years  as  an  excuse.  "If  I 
were  as  young  as  I  used  to  be,"  he  said,  smilingly,  "I 
would  not  need  a  second  invitation  to  join  in  such  a 
needed  investigation,  no  matter  how  repulsive  it  might 
be.  The  people  are  destroyed  for  lack  of  knowledge. 
We  will  use  sane  methods  in  using  our  information,  but 
the  information  we  must  have." 

Accompanied  by  a  policeman,  who  was  well  versed  in 
the  doings  of  Bronson's  night  revellers,  the  party  had 
agreed  to  start  from  the  Courier  office  at  eleven  o'clock. 
The  policeman  had  been  secured  by  Reginald  in  some 
way,  but  he  did  not  apprise  his  companions  of  the  secret 
except  to  assure  them  that  their  guide  would  be  a  regu- 
lar policeman  of  the  city's  force.  "He  will  wear  his 
star,"  said  Reginald,  explaining  to  the  ministers  about 
the  policeman,  "and  he  will  be  authorized  legally  to 
visit  every  place  which  we  will  enter  tonight." 

Allan  Rutledge  walked  slowly  down  the  street  from 
his  home  after  bidding  his  wife  good-bye.  It  was  a 
pleasant  evening,  somewhat  warmer  than  is  usual  in 
Michigan  during  the  month  of  March.  A  bright  moon 
was  shining  above  the  tree  tops,  its  silvery  gleams  illu- 
minating the  city  with  their  mild  radiance,  too  soft  to 
awaken  the  slumberers  but  sufficient  to  guide  the  steps 


208  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

of  any  chance  travelers  in  the  night.  Fleecy  clouds  wan- 
dered across  the  sky  and  above  them  shone  the  stars. 

"What  a  beautiful  night  1"  said  Allan  Rutledge  to 
himself  as  he  walked  along  enjoying  the  nocturnal  beau- 
ties of  nature.  He  gazed  reverently  towards  the 
heavens,  repeating  to  himself  the  words  of  the  ancient 
poet,  "When  I  consider  the  heavens,  the  work  of  Thy 
fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars  which  Thou  hast  or- 
dained; What  is  man  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him, 
and  the  son  of  man  that  Thou  visitest  him?" 

He  remembered  also  the  wonderful  verses  of  Homer 
in  which  the  Greek  poet  describes  the  glories  of  the 
useful  night. 

"Ah,  how  holy  is  the  night  season,"  he  exclaimed 
aloud.  "With  the  bright  beams  of  'yon  orbed  maiden, 
with  white  fire  laden,  which  mortals  call  the  moon' ;  with 
those  clouds  traversing  the  face  of  the  sky,  and  yonder 
stars  shining  out  the  love  and  care  of  the  great  Cre- 
ator, surely  the  night  time  is  always  a  season  of  holy 
reflection." 

Just  then  he  turned  a  corner  and  walked  along  the 
main  street  of  Bronson,  only  a  few  blocks  from  the 
business  district.  In  moonlight  nights  the  city  lights 
were  never  turned  on  in  the  residence  parts  of  the  town, 
but  the  garish  electric  arc  lights  shone  out  every  night 
on  the  down-town  streets  until  midnight.  The  brilliant 
street  lights  aroused  Allan  Rutledge  from  his  pleasing 
reflections  on  the  holiness  of  the  night  and  called  to 
his  mind  the  mission  on  which  he  was  about  to  start. 

"Alas,  alas,"  he  sighed,  wearily;  "men  profane  even 


A  MIDNIGHT  TOUR  209 

the  most  sacred  things  of  earth,  and  night  is  the  time 
of  godless  revelry  for  multitudes." 

He  recalled  to  memory  the  words  of  John  Milton's 
matchless  poem,  "Paradise  Lost,"  in  which  the  English 
poet  described  the  vile  god  of  the  heathen  night: 

"Belial  came  last,  than  whom  a  spirit  more  lewd 
Fell  not  from  heaven,  or  more  gross  to  love 
Vice  for  itself:  to  him  no  temple  stood, 
Or  altar  smoked;  yet  who  more  oft  than  he 
In  temples  and  at  altars,  when  the  priest 
Turns  atheist,  as  did  Eli's  sons,  who  filled 
With  lust  and  violence  the  house  of  God? 
In  courts  and  palaces  he  also  reigns, 
And  in  luxurious  cities,  where  the  noise 
Of  riot  ascends  above  their  loftiest  towers, 
And  injury  and  outrage :  and  when  night 
Darkens  the  streets,  then  wander  forth  the  sons 
Of  Belial,  flown  with  insolence  and  wine." 

"The  god  of  some  cities  in  my  beloved  America," 
pondered  Allan  Rutledge,  "is  Belial  and  not  Christ. 
Alas,  is  even  Bronson  to  be  excepted?" 

Exercised  with  these  painful  thoughts,  the  minister 
stepped  into  the  Courier  office.  The  others  were 
awaiting  his  arrival  and  in  a  few  moments  the  little 
company  set  forth.  The  policeman-guide  was  a  sturdy 
Irishman,  of  powerful  build.  He  carried  the  custom- 
ary baton  carried  by  officers  and  also  had  a  revolver 
in  his  belt.  His  "star,"  showing  his  official  authority, 
was  hidden  by  the  lapel  of  his  coat,  but  he  could  display 
it  in  an  instant  by  a  slight  motion  of  his  left  hand. 


210  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"We  take  the  saloons  first,"  said  the  policeman,  as 
they  walked  down  the  street,  two  by  two,  the  officer 
and  Reginald  leading.  "It  is  past  the  closing  time,  but 
we  can  enter  readily  by  a  rear  door." 

Choosing  one  of  the  prominent  saloons  the  police 
officer  lead  the  way  to  the  rear  door,  and  knocked  with 
three  double  taps.  In  a  little  while  the  door  opened 
carefully.  As  soon  as  the  door  had  swung  back  far 
enough  the  officer  deftly  placed  his  foot  on  the  thresh- 
old and  pushed  it  wide  open. 

"Who  are  you,  sir?"  exclaimed  the  astonished  door 
tender.  For  answer  the  officer  showed  his  star,  and 
the  man  received  him  cordially. 

"Come  in,  sir,  come  in.  These  are  some  friends  of 
yours,  I  suppose?"  The  saloon  man  pointed  to  the 
ministers  and  the  city  reporter  of  the  Courier  as  he 
spoke. 

"Yes,"  said  the  officer,  curtly.  "We  want  to  go  into 
the  room  where  the  boys  are." 

Leading  the  way,  the  man  took  them  through  a  dark 
room,  and  throwing  open  a  door,  ushered  them  into  a 
room  with  a  number  of  men  sitting  at  little  tables.  On 
every  table  there  were  glasses  and  bottles. 

A  bar-tender,  with  florid  face,  short,  thick  neck,  and 
adorned  with  a  white  apron,  hurried  forward. 

"Sit  down,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  bowing  to  the  Visit- 
ors. "What  can  we  do  for  you  tonight?" 

The  policeman  pulled  back  his  coat,  showing  his  star, 
and  remarked  leisurely,  "Oh,  nothing.  I  am  just  tak- 
ing a  few  friends  around  tonight  to  see  our  town." 


A  MIDNIGHT  TOUR  211 

The  bar-tender  looked  closely  at  the  men  and  recog- 
nized the  ministers  and  Reginald.  He  started  in  aston- 
ishment and  gaped  open-mouthed  at  the  intruders. 
Meanwhile,  Allan  Rutledge  had  been  scanning  the  faces 
in  the  room  and  with  a  deep  sorrow  he  saw  that  some 
of  the  young  men  were  sons  of  members  of  his  own 
church.  Suddenly  his  eyes  fell  on  Roland  Gregory  at  a 
table  in  the  corner  of  the  room.  Seeing  that  the  vis- 
itors did  not  seat  themselves  the  attention  of  the  rev- 
ellers was  soon  centered  on  the  party  of  investigators. 
The  ministers  and  Reginald  had  removed  their  caps, 
which  had  been  pulled  down  over  their  faces,  and  al- 
most every  one  recognized  them.  There  was  a  tense 
silence.  The  loud  talking  and  laughing  ceased. 

"I  think  that  will  be  all,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  speak- 
ing to  the  officer.  "We  have  seen  all  we  care  to  in  this 
place." 

He  turned  to  go. 

Roland  Gregory  staggered  to  his  feet.  He  was 
plainly  somewhat  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  "What 
do  you  fools  want  here?"  he  asked  in  a  thick  voice, 
adding  a  vile  oath.  The  policeman  was  turning  to 
leave  the  room  and  Gregory  walked  up  deliberately  to 
Reginald  Nelson,  who  was  writing  in  a  notebook  hastily 
the  number  of  men  present,  and  also  adding  the  names 
of  a  few  whom  he  knew. 

"What  are  you  writing  there?"  said  Gregory,  reach- 
ing for  the  city  reporter's  notebook.  In  a  moment 
Reginald  whipped  his  notebook  into  his  pocket,  warded 
off  the  other's  hand,  and  started  to  follow  the  rest. 


212  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"You ,"  said  Gregory,  making  a  lunge  at  the 

reporter.  Reginald  Nelson  was  glancing  over  his 
shoulder  as  he  retreated  and  he  saw  the  other's  threat- 
ening fist.  Stepping  to  one  side  he  wheeled  around  in 
the  doorway,  let  out  his  arm  with  terrific  force,  and 
Roland  Gregory  stretched  his  length  on  the  floor. 
There  was  an  instant  uproar,  a  sound  of  breaking 
glass,  and  loud  oaths,  but  the  reporter  quickly  slammed 
the  door  shut,  and  hastily  followed  the  others,  who 
were  now  passing  into  the  alley  out  of  the  rear  door. 

"That  will  do  for  the  saloons,"  said  the  officer,  as  he 
walked  out  on  the  main  street  again.  "I  could  take  you 
to  a  number  of  places  like  that  if  you  cared  to  go." 

"How  is  it  that  nobody  recognized  you,  sir?"  asked 
Allan  Rutledge,  turning  to  the  policeman.  "I  should 
think  that  these  saloonmen  would  know  you  quicker 
than  they  would  us,  and  yet  they  did  not  seem  to  know 
who  you  were." 

Reginald  Nelson  laughed,  and  said,  "Our  guide  is 
no  fool.  He  is  disguised  tonight  so  that  even  his  own 
wife  wouldn't  know  him.  If  the  city  administration 
were  to  find  out  who  he  is  our  tour  would  be  compara- 
tively valueless."  Allan  Rutledge  did  not  quite  under- 
stand at  the  time  just  what  Reginald  meant,  but  he  had 
learned  to  trust  the  young  Englishman's  judgment,  and 
he  was  silent. 

They  reached  a  dark  street  on  the  edge  of  the  busi- 
ness district  and  the  officer  remarked,  "We  will  now 
have  a  look  at  a  gambling  'joint.'  You  can  notice  how 
secure  these  fellows  will  look  when  they  see  my  star. 
They  will  know  that  it  means  no  trouble." 


g 

: 


STEPPING  TO  ONE  SIDE   HE   LET  OUT  HIS  ARM  WITH  TERRIFIC  FORCE,  AND  ROLAND 
GREGORY  STRETCHED  HIS  LENGTH  ON  THE   FLOOR." 


A  MIDNIGHT  TOUR  213 

Allan  Rutledge  began  to  see  the  value  of  the  dis- 
guised officer's  presence  with  them. 

"Think  of  it,  Mr.  Townley,"  he  said  to  his  brother 
minister.  "The  fact  that  this  guide  of  ours  is  an 
officer  of  the  law  in  Bronson  assures  these  divekeepers 
that  the  visit  means  no  danger  to  them.  Think  of  it. 
Anarchy  organized  into  government  here  in  Bronson. 
Lawlessness  protected  by  law." 

"Hush,"  cautioned  the  police  officer.  They  ap- 
proached a  house  which  looked  desolate  and  deserted 
from  the  outside.  The  policeman  knocked  with  four 
single  taps.  There  was  no  response.  The  knock  was 
repeated.  Slowly  and  more  cautiously  than  in  the  for- 
mer instance  the  door  was  opened.  "Hello,  rummy," 
said  the  policeman  to  the  fellow  at  the  door,  pushing 
him  aside  and  walking  into  the  hall.  The  man  seemed 
a  little  in  doubt  and  tried  to  shut  the  door  in  the  offi- 
cer's face. 

"None  of  that,"  said  the  policeman,  sternly,  pulling 
a  revolver  with  his  right  hand,  and  pulling  back  his 
coat  with  the  left. 

At  the  sight  of  the  star  the  man's  confidence  was  re- 
stored and  he  said,  "We  have  to  be  mighty  careful  for 
a  while,  as  lots  of  our  friends  have  gone  daft  since 
Billy  Sunday  was  here." 

Leading  the  way  into  the  inner  room,  he  ushered  the 
investigators  of  Bronson's  night  revelries  into  a  large 
well-lighted  place,  fitted  up  with  all  the  fixtures  needed 
in  gambling  games.  Several  of  the  tables  were  empty, 
but  there  was  a  fair  crowd  present. 

The  policeman  seated  himself  at  one  of  the  tables, 


2i4  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

motioning  to  his  companions  to  do  likewise,  and  the 
four  men  sat  down  and  gazed  around.  The  door  man 
was  somewhat  suspicious  as  he  looked  at  the  quartet, 
especially  since  he  could  not  recognize  the  wearer  of 
the  star. 

"What's  your  name?"  he  asked  the  officer,  in  a 
doubtful  tone  of  voice. 

"None  of  your  business,"  was  the  curt  reply. 

The  men  at  the  tables  were  so  intent  on  their  games 
that  only  two  or  three  of  them  glanced  at  the  new  com- 
ers. Now  and  then  an  oath  was  heard,  but  for  the 
most  part  they  were  playing  in  a  grim  silence,  the  faces 
of  the  gamblers  intent. 

Allan  Rutledge  shuddered  as  he  looked  at  the  vo- 
taries of  America's  national  sin.  He  remembered  viv- 
idly some  of  the  burning  words  of  Mr.  Sunday, 
who  knows  so  well  the  actual  life  of  the  aver- 
age American.  It  was  during  the  evangelist's  well- 
known  sermon  on  "Amusements,"  in  which  he  de- 
nounced the  modern  dance  as  the  mother  of  har- 
lots and  the  fashionable  card  party  as  the  starting 
point  for  the  gambler.  "I  am  more  afraid  of  your 
fashionable  card  party,"  the  evangelist  had  shouted, 
"than  I  am  of  the  bunch  in  the  gamblers'  hell.  If  my 
boy  is  not  tempted  to  gamble  at  a  fashionable  card 
party  he  will  never  learn  from  the  degenerate,  blackleg 
gamblers  in  the  joint.  You  have  no  right  to  find  fault 
with  the  city  officials,"  Billy  Sunday  declared,  "if  they 
fail  to  suppress  gambling  when  a  thing  so  near  akin  to 
it  is  carried  on  in  your  own  homes.  Society,  as  it  is 
constituted  today  in  America,  is  doing  more  to  damn 


A  MIDNIGHT  TOUR  215 

the  spiritual  life  of  the  churches  than  all  the  grogshops 
and  dives  in  the  land." 

The  door  tender  was  becoming  very  uncomfortable. 
He  saw  Reginald  Nelson  making  notes,  and  his  fears 
were  finally  confirmed  when  one  of  the  players,  happen- 
ing to  look  towards  the  four  men,  exclaimed,  "What 
are  those preachers  doing  here?" 

"Speilers,  speilers,"  yelled  the  fellow,  arousing  the 
players  and  pointing  to  the  investigators. 

A  number  of  guns  flashed  in  the  hands  of  the  startled 
men,  and  Allan  Rutledge  feared  that  there  was  danger. 
He  was  about  to  speak  to  the  excited  gamblers  when  the 
policeman  carelessly  threw  the  lapel  of  his  coat  back 
and  cried,  "Shut  up,  sir,  or  I  will  have  your  'joint' 
pulled.  Don't  you  know  this  star  tells  you  that  we  are 
all  right?  If  you  treat  officers  like  this  we  will  raise 
the  rent  on  you." 

The  policeman  arose  and  the  others  with  him,  and 
they  made  for  the  door.  Allan  Rutledge  was  the  last 
to  pass  out.  As  he  was  shutting  the  door  the  crack  of 
a  gun  was  heard,  and  a  bullet  splintered  the  top  of  the 
door.  The  little  party  proceeded  hastily  to  the  street, 
the  policeman  hurrying  in  front.  "A  lot  of  cut-throats 
in  that  gang,"  he  declared.  "This  is  one  of  the  'joints' 
that  ought  to  be  closed  in  the  interests  of  public  safety." 

Allan  Rutledge  was  getting  sick  at  heart.  "I  have 
seen  enough  for  one  night,"  said  the  minister,  as  they 
were  walking  down  the  street. 

"You  were  not  hurt,  were  you?"  asked  Reginald, 
quickly. 

"No,  no,"  he  responded.     "The  bullet  went  wild. 


2i 6  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

They  evidently  meant  only  to  frighten  us.  I  was  not 
hurt  physically,  but  I  am  hurt  in  my  soul.  I  did  not  be- 
lieve that  it  was  possible  such  lawlessness  could  flourish 
under  the  protection  of  our  American  flag." 

"Alas,  sir,"  said  Reginald,  "you  little  know  how  low 
political  ideals  have  dropped  in  recent  years.  Let  us 
make  one  more  visit  and  then  we  shall  conclude  our 
tour." 

The  policeman  led  them  to  a  part  of  the  town  which 
had  formerly  been  the  site  of  several  palatial  homes, 
but  the  inroads  of  the  factories  had  driven  the  fashion- 
able residents  to  other  parts  of  the  city.  A  few  of  the 
houses  still  stood  in  the  midst  of  a  district  given  over  to 
large  manufacturing  plants.  Going  to  one  of  these 
houses  the  officer  knocked. 

"What  is  this?"  asked  Allan  Rutledge. 

"A  gilded  hall  of  vice,"  responded  the  policeman. 

The  minister  hesitated.  He  felt  inclined  to  rush 
from  the  door  of  the  house  of  death,  but  his  devotion 
to  duty  kept  him  with  the  rest. 

"Isn't  this  a  horrible  nightmare,"  whispered  Mr. 
Townley.  "I  well  knew  such  iniquities  existed  as  we 
have  seen,  but  the  actual  sight  has  appalled  and  sick- 
ened me." 

Just  then  the  large  door  of  the  house  opened  and  the 
four  men  stepped  into  the  hall.  As  he  did  so  the  police- 
man flashed  his  star  again,  and  the  woman  who  admit- 
ted them  smiled  and  bowed.  A  door  was  opened,  they 
gazed  on  a  surprising  scene  of  luxury.  The  room  was 
large  and  magnificent  chandeliers  shed  a  brilliant  light 
over  the  company  gathered  there.  The  furniture,  the 


A  MIDNIGHT  TOUR  217 

oriental  rugs,  the  pictures  and  the  statuary  were  of  the 
richest  and  most  expensive  sort.  Banks  of  flowers 
adorned  one  corner  of  the  apartment.  The  couches 
and  chairs  offered  a  luxurious  resting  place.  Seated  at 
a  piano  a  girl  was  playing  soft  music,  which  mingled 
harmoniously  with  the  tinkling  of  glasses  from  which 
a  number  of  the  well-dressed  patrons  of  the  place  were 
drinking.  Ministering  to  the  flesh  in  most  suggestive 
ways  girls  mingled  with  men,  dressed  in  glittering 
evening  dresses. 

Allan  Rutledge  gazed  for  a  moment  stunned  at  the 
brilliance  of  the  tinselled  and  enticing  display  of  sin  at 
its  very  worst.  "My  God,"  he  groaned,  as  in  torture, 
"Can  such  things  be?" 

He  turned  and  staggered  from  the  room.  Reginald 
Nelson  quickly  followed,  and  then  came  Mr.  Townley 
and  the  policeman.  The  startled  roisterers  gazed  at  the 
disappearing  company  in  fear,  but  they  were  soon  re- 
assured by  the  woman  who  had  admitted  them.  "One 
of  the  men  had  a  star  on,  and  it  is  all  right,"  she  said. 

"I  must  go  home,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  hoarsely, 
when  they  had  reached  the  streets.  "I  can  bear  no 
more.  Poor,  deluded  victims,"  he  continued,  "they 
know  not  that  the  dead  are  there,  and  that  the  guests 
of  the  strange  woman  are  in  the  depths  of  hell." 

In  silence  the  little  company  made  their  way  to  the 
Courier  office.  The  Irish  policeman  removed  his  skill- 
ful disguise,  and  Allan  Rutledge  saw  that  he  was  not 
an  Irishman  at  all,  but  a  Hollander  with  whom  he  was 
acquainted,  one  of  the  members  of  the  police  force  of 
Bronson. 


2i  8  THE  F I  SI  ON  OF  JOY 

The  policeman  slipped  away,  and  the  three  friends 
sat  in  silence  for  a  few  moments.  "We  now  have  the 
information  we  desired.  We  are  witnesses  of  the  act- 
ual conditions  fostered  by  Bud  McCrea's  policy."  It 
was  Reginald  Nelson  who  spoke.  Allan  Rutledge 
aroused  himself.  "Bronson  shall  be  clean,"  he  ex- 
claimed, almost  fiercely.  "Let  us  think  over  what  we 
have  seen  and  heard  for  a  few  days  and  then  we  can 
formulate  a  plan  of  campaign." 

In  a  short  time  the  three  men  separated,  and  Allan 
Rutledge  walked  slowly  and  sadly  to  his  home. 

The  moon  was  still  shining  in  its  silver  splendor,  and 
the  clouds  were  hurrying  still  across  the  sky,  while 
above  them  all  twinkled  the  thousands  of  stars  which 
adorn  the  heavens. 

But  there  was  no  longer  any  beauty  in  the  night  for 
Allan  Rutledge.  His  soul  revolted  in  bitterness  from 
the  display  of  Bronson's  guilty  fellowship  with  the  un- 
fruitful works  of  darkness. 

At  the  door  of  his  home  his  wife  met  him.  "I  am 
glad  you  are  back  safely,"  she  said,  softly. 

"I  have  been  in  hell,"  answered  her  husband,  grasp- 
ing her  hand.  "Thank  God,  a  work  has  begun  in 
Bronson  that  shall  wipe  out  its  hell." 


CHAPTER  XVL 

THE  GANG. 

The  report  of  the  strange  tour  of  the  self-appointed 
investigators  spread  consternation  amongst  the  "gang" 
who  were  in  charge  of  the  city  administration  of  Bron- 
son.  Both  the  resort-keepers  and  the  habitues  of  the 
dives  brought  the  news  the  next  day  to  Bud  McCrea. 
He  hurriedly  called  on  the  mayor  for  an  explanation. 

"I  hear  you  detailed  a  policeman  last  night  to  ac- 
company those  preachers  and  that  fool  reporter  on  a 
slumming  trip,"  said  McCrea,  angrily. 

The  mayor  looked  surprised  and  retorted  quickly, 
"What's  that?" 

"Did  you  not  detail  an  officer  to  accompany  a  party 
last  night  who  were  sneaking  around  town?"  McCrea 
was  plainly  excited  as  he  asked  this  question. 

"I  know  nothing  about  it,"  said  the  mayor.  "Tell 
me  what  has  happened?" 

Bud  McCrea  then  told  of  the  midnight  tour  of  Dr. 
Rutledge,  Mr.  Townley  and  Reginald  Nelson,  and  of 
the  presence  of  a  policeman  with  them. 

"The  man  surely  had  a  star  on  his  coat.  He  must 
have  been  a  fake  policeman.  If  that  is  so  we  will  get 
even  with  that  crowd  of  Billy  Sunday  dreamers  if  they 
try  to  make  any  trouble." 

219 


220  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

The  chief  of  police  also  denied  any  knowledge  of  an 
officer  acting  as  guide  in  Bronson's  underworld,  and 
the  affair  was  a  good  deal  of  a  mystery. 

"I  fear  there  is  a  traitor  in  the  camp,"  said  Bud  Mc- 
Crea,  after  he  had  interviewed  a  number  of  the  city 
officials  and  could  get  no  clue  to  the  identity  of  the  man. 

During  the  next  week  the  columns  of  the  Courier 
were  eagerly  scanned  by  McCrea  and  his  friends  to 
see  if  Reginald  Nelson  would  publish  a  report  of  the 
investigation. 

Knowing  that  they  had  lost  all  influence  over  Mr. 
Marchmount  the  "gang"  did  not  approach  him,  but 
incidentally  he  was  warned  again  about  the  danger  to 
himself  if  his  paper  made  any  exposures  which  would 
reflect  on  the  reputation  of  any  of  McCrea's  friends. 

Meanwhile,  the  investigators  had  been  slowly  for- 
mulating their  plan  of  campaign.  Allan  Rutledge  took 
the  lead  in  the  matter. 

"Let  us  give  the  present  city  administration  an  op- 
portunity to  clear  itself,"  he  urged,  speaking  one  day 
at  a  conference  of  the  leading  Christian  men  of  Bron- 
son,  to  whom  a  full  report  of  the  midnight  tour  was 
given. 

It  was  agreed  that  a  number  of  them  should  present 
themselves  at  a  meeting  of  the  city  council  and  demand 
immediate  reform  measures  to  control  the  saloons  and 
to  eliminate  the  vicious  resorts. 

The  city  council  was  meeting  the  next  evening  at  the 
city  hall.  There  was  nothing  but  routine  business  and 
several  of  the  members  of  the  council  were  absent. 
Suddenly  the  door  of  the  room  opened  and  a  crowd  of 


THE  GANG  221 

well-known  citizens  filed  into  the  room.  Amongst  them 
were  Edgar  Prince,  the  manufacturer,  who  had  been 
converted  in  the  tabernacle  meetings;  George  Caldwell, 
Thomas  Marchmount,  Reginald  Nelson,  Mr.  Cameron, 
and  a  number  of  ministers,  including  Mr.  Townley  and 
Allan  Rutledge.  Allan  Rutledge  acted  as  spokesman 
for  the  company. 

"We  have  come  here  tonight,"  the  minister  began, 
addressing  the  astounded  mayor,  "to  demand  immediate 
reform  in  the  matter  of  the  saloons  and  dives  in  Bron- 
son.  We  have  evidence  that  the  illegal  liquor  selling 
and  the  illegal  and  demoralizing  resorts  which  disgrace 
our  city  are  running  under  the  protection  of  the  city 
administration.  We  demand  a  change  of  policy  in 
regard  to  this  whole  matter  as  the  majority  of  the 
people  of  Bronson  are  now  opposed  to  this  policy  of 
lawlessness  and  anarchy." 

The  mayor  stared  speechless  at  the  speaker,  and 
then  gazed  helplessly  at  the  crowd  which  filled  the 
council-room.  At  last  one  of  the  more  aggressive 
members  of  the  council  found  his  voice. 

"We  deny  that  the  policy  of  the  present  city  admin- 
istration in  Bronson  has  been  one  of  lawlessness  and 
anarchy,"  he  exclaimed,  arising  from  his  seat,  and  act- 
ing as  spokesman  for  the  council. 

"We  are  ready  to  prove  our  allegations,"  responded 
the  minister.  "We  have  witnesses  who  will  give  you 
the  names  and  places  where  the  law  is  openly  violated 
every  night  in  Bronson,  and  the  presence  of  a  policeman 
in  these  places  gives  security  to  the  lawbreakers  instead 
of  terrorizing  them." 


222  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

The  councilman  well  knew  of  the  investigating  tour, 
and  he  feared  an  open  exposure  of  conditions  if  he 
persisted  in  his  remarks  and  so  he  sat  down  in  some 
confusion.  One  of  the  socialist  members  of  the  council 
then  arose  and  addressed  the  company.  "We  well 
know,"  he  said,  "that  many  things  have  been  going  on 
in  our  city  which  are  a  disgrace  to  civilization.  I  do 
not  now  refer  to  our  industrial  system  of  tyranny,  but 
to  violations  of  all  law  and  decency.  We  are  opposed  to 
these  things,  but  we  have  been  in  the  minority.  I  move 
that  this  council  take  the  request  of  this  delegation  of 
our  citizens  into  consideration,  and  that  the  matter 
be  discussed  at  a  full  meeting  of  the  aldermen  of 
Bronson." 

The  majority  of  the  council,  being  friendly  to  Mc- 
Crea,  would  like  to  have  dismissed  the  matter  more 
unceremoniously,  but  they  began  to  see  that  they  were 
dealing  with  a  different  Bronson  from  the  careless, 
indifferent  and  morally  blind  city  which  had  existed 
before  the  epoch-making  meetings  in  the  tabernacle. 
The  motion  of  the  socialist  was  seconded  by  his  fellow- 
socialists,  and  it  passed  unanimously,  although  it  was 
plain  that  there  was  not  much  animation  in  the  voting 
on  the  part  of  a  majority. 

Allan  Rutledge  thanked  the  council  for  their  action, 
but  declared  that  it  would  take  more  than  a  mere  reso- 
lution to  satisfy  the  awakened  civic  conscience  of  the 
citizenship. 

"We  shall  return  in  a  week,"  he  declared,  "to  see 
what  progress  you  have  made  in  cleaning  up  our  city." 

A  day  or  two  after  the  invasion  of  the  council  cham- 


THE  GANG  223 

her,  Mr.  Graham  called  at  the  home  of  the  pastor  of 
the  Central  Church.  He  found  Allan  Rutledge  in  his 
study.  The  minister  greeted  him  with  sincere  cordial- 
ity for  the  two  men  were  still  personal  friends. 

"Dr.  Rutledge,  I  have  called  to  see  you  at  the  re- 
quest of  a  number  of  prominent  members  and  friends 
of  our  church.  Your  recent  actions  in  regard  to  the 
slums  of  Bronson  have  aroused  a  good  deal  of  antag- 
onism to  you  amongst  some  of  our  best  people." 

"You  refer  to  my  actions  in  co-operation  with  the 
leading  Christian  men  of  Bronson  whereby  we  are  seek- 
ing to  rid  our  city  of  its  legalized  anarchy,"  said  the 
minister,  smilingly. 

The  lawyer  frowned  darkly  and  responded  with 
some  asperity,  "There  is  no  legalized  anarchy  in  Bron- 
son, sir.  It  is  not  right  for  you,  a  comparative  stranger 
in  this  place,  to  slander  our  city  in  such  a  manner." 

"Pardon  me,  Mr.  Graham,  but  if  you  like  I  can  give 
you  the  exact  location  of  illegal  resorts  which  are  run- 
ning every  night  in  Bronson  in  direct  violation  of  the 
laws  of  our  state  and  the  ordinances  of  our  city. 
These  places  are  now  protected,  for  a  price,  by  our 
city  administration,  and  this  thing  is  a  curse  which 
must  be  removed." 

Allan  Rutledge,  as  was  his  custom  when  he  became 
aroused,  rose  to  his  feet  and  looked  down  at  the  lawyer. 

"Sit  down,  sit  down,  Dr.  Rutledge,"  said  the  lawyer, 
impatiently.  "There  is  no  use  in  getting  excited  over 
this  matter.  Do  you  not  know  that  the  usages  to  which 
you  refer  are  common  in  every  metropolitan  city  in 
America  ?  Bronson  is  not  a  provincial  town  as  your 


224  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

Wellington  was  in  Iowa.     Bronson  is  a  metropolitan 
city." 

As  he  spoke  these  last  words  Mr.  Graham  straight- 
ened himself  up  in  his  chair  and  looked  at  the  minister 
with  an  air  of  injured  dignity. 

Allan  Rutledge  sat  down  slowly  and  then  turned  to 
his  visitor  and  spoke  earnestly;  "Let  us  not  get  con- 
fused, Mr.  Graham.  I  am  not  denying  that  Bronson  is 
a  metropolitan  city,  but  I  do  deny  absolutely  that  the 
majority  of  the  voters  of  Bronson  are  in  favor  of  these 
illegal  dives  and  demoralizing  resorts.  More  than 
that,  the  majority  of  the  voters  in  Bronson  have  the 
right  to  dictate  the  policies  of  this  city.  Our  fathers 
died  to  give  them  this  right.  If  the  present  city  ad- 
ministration, which  now  misrepresents  this  majority, 
refuses  to  do  our  will,  we  propose  to  hurl  them  from 
power  and  elect  a  reform  administration  which  will 
clean  up  our  town." 

"A  pious  imagination,"  responded  the  lawyer,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders.  "This  hope  of  a  reform  city  is 
only  a  dream,  I  assure  you,  Dr.  Rutledge.  You  are 
wasting  your  time  and  hurting  your  spiritual  influence 
in  devoting  your  time  to  such  matters.  Is  it  not  your 
business  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  leave  such  things 
to  us?" 

Allan  Rutledge  paused  a  moment  before  replying 
and  then  responded  slowly,  "I  have  been  preaching  the 
Gospel  to  you,  Mr.  Graham,  as  earnestly  as  I  know 
how  to  do  it,  but  you  still  remain  rebellious  to  Jesus 
Christ.  I  have  been  anxious  to  have  a  talk  with  you  in 


THE  GANG  225 

regard  to  this  very  matter  and  I  am  glad  you  intro- 
duced it." 

The  lawyer  looked  uncomfortable  as  the  minister 
began  to  speak  in  this  way  but  Allan  Rutledge  con- 
tinued with  increasing  seriousness,  "Will  you  not,  Mr. 
Graham,  here  and  now  confess  Jesus  Christ  as  your 
Saviour  and  Lord?  I  freely  admit  my  work  is  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  and  I  am  only  starting  this  crusade  for 
righteousness  in  civic  affairs.  I  am  going  to  leave  it 
altogether  in  the  hands  of  Reginald  Nelson,  Edgar 
Prince  and  some  others  and  take  up  anew  my  spiritual 
duties  for  I  well  know  that  spiritual  regeneration  must 
precede  moral  reformation  in  the  individual  and  in  the 
community." 

Mr.  Graham  was  impressed  with  the  earnestness  of 
the  minister  but  he  had  not  expected  the  conversation 
to  take  this  turn.  He  was  unable  to  find  words  to 
reply,  and  the  other  spoke  again.  "I  think  that  if  you 
were  to  surrender  your  life  to  God,  Mr.  Graham,  you 
would  soon  see  that  you  are  losing  your  influence  and 
destroying  your  usefulness  in  Bronson  by  defending 
the  actions  of  such  men  as  McCrea.  You  have  hinted 
that  I  ought  to  preach  the  Gospel.  Will  you  not  now 
yourself  obey  the  Gospel?" 

Allan  Rutledge  spoke  his  question  in  a  pleading  voice 
and  looked  into  the  face  of  Joy  Graham's  father  with 
eager  longing. 

"I  did  not  come  here  to  discuss  this  matter,"  he  said, 
with  a  little  impatience. 

"But  this  is  the  most  important  matter  that  you  and 
I  could  possibly  discuss,"  said  Dr.  Rutledge,  earnestly. 


226  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"Your  daughter,  Joy,  has  spoken  to  me  more  than 
once  of  her  prayers  for  your  conversion,  and  it  would 
rejoice  the  heart  of  your  family  if  you  were  to  begin 
to  live  the  Christian  life." 

Mr.  Graham  arose  to  his  feet.  "I  think  I  am  lead- 
ing as  good  a  life  as  the  majority  of  your  church  mem- 
bers, sir,"  he  answered,  stiffly.  "I  called  to  give  you 
some  good  advice  which  might  hinder  a  request 
for  your  resignation  being  brought  before  our 
congregation." 

"I  sincerely  thank  you  for  your  interest  in  me,"  said 
the  other,  "but  I  regret  exceedingly  that  you  cannot  see 
your  way  clear  to  accept  the  Christian  faith  as  it  will 
mean  that  you  can  no  longer  serve  as  a  trustee  in  Cen- 
tral Church  after  our  congregational  meeting  the  week 
after  next." 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir?"  exclaimed  Mr.  Graham, 
turning  angrily  to  the  minister. 

"I  mean  just  what  I  say,"  responded  Allan  Rutledge. 
"Since  the  spiritual  awakening  which  our  church  has 
enjoyed  in  consequence  of  the  tabernacle  meetings  the 
membership  have  been  discussing  the  advisability  of 
having  no  one  in  office  in  the  church  unless  they  are 
believers,  and  as  you  are  an  unbeliever  your  usefulness 
in  Central  Church  is  over  unless  you  repent." 

"We  will  see  about  that,"  snapped  Mr.  Graham, 
walking  out  of  the  house  without  even  wishing  the 
minister  good  day. 

"Poor  man,"  said  Allan  to  himself.  "I  regret  his 
blindness  for  his  own  sake  and  also  for  the  sake  of  his 
family." 


THE  GANG  227 

When  Mr.  Graham  began  to  enquire  amongst  his 
friends  in  Central  Church  he  found  that  the  minister's 
warning  was  true,  and  that  there  had  been  set  on  foot 
a  plan  to  deprive  him  of  his  trusteeship  in  Central 
Church  and  place  Edgar  Prince  in  his  place.  Edgar 
Prince  had  united  with  Central  Church  at  the  close  of 
the  tabernacle  meetings  and  was  now  a  most  earnest 
member.  One  of  the  leaders  in  this  movement  was 
Mr.  Cameron.  "I  never  could  see  the  sense  in  giving 
the  leadership  in  our  church  to  unbelievers,"  said  the 
Scotchman  on  one  occasion.  "I  like  Mr.  Graham  per- 
sonally and  I  think  his  wife  and  daughter  are  among 
the  best  members  we  have,  but  he  himself  makes  no 
pretensions  of  faith,  and  it  is  a  disgrace  to  confess  that 
we  have  not  men  enough  in  our  church  to  elect  as 
trustees,  but  that  we  must  go  out  into  the  world  to  find 
them." 

When  the  lawyer  found  how  hopeless  his  case  was, 
and  how  differently  things  were  from  what  they  had 
been  before  the  advent  of  Allan  Rutledge  and  the  visit 
of  Mr.  Sunday  to  Bronson,  he  bitterly  regretted  having 
had  any  hand  in  the  transference  of  the  Iowa  minister 
to  Michigan.  He  spoke  to  his  wife  and  daughter,  tell- 
ing them  they  would  have  to  leave  the  church  if  they 
failed  to  re-elect  him  as  a  trustee,  but  they  took  the 
side  of  Mr.  Cameron,  and  Joy  spoke  very  plainly  to 
her  father.  "Since  you  do  not  believe  in  Christ  I 
should  not  think  you  would  wish  to  be  an  officer  in 
His  church,"  she  declared,  stoutly.  She  sought  to  win 
her  father  to  the  Christian  faith  just  as  Allan  Rutledge 
had  done,  but  the  lawyer's  heart  was  getting  very  bitter 


228  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

towards  Allan  Rutledge  and  the  Christian  leaders  in 
the  community.  "The  more  I  see  of  these  Christian 
fanatics  the  less  I  like  them,"  he  sneered. 

The  visit  of  the  delegation  of  prominent  citizens  to 
the  city  council  demanding  a  reform  administration 
brought  a  crisis  in  the  affairs  of  Bud  McCrea.  He 
summoned  a  conference  in  Mr.  Graham's  office,  and  a 
number  of  the  old  leaders  in  the  city's  politics  gathered 
for  a  council  of  war. 

Amongst  those  present  were  Mr.  Graham,  Roland 
Gregory,  the  mayor,  Bud  McCrea,  and  some  of  the 
members  of  the  city  council.  Another  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  conference  was  Ned  Rowlands,  a  young 
fellow  who  had  been  Bud  McCrea's  right-hand  man 
for  some  time  previously. 

"Is  there  any  way  we  can  drive  that  fellow,  Rut- 
ledge,  out  of  town?"  asked  McCrea,  during  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  unsettled  conditions  in  Bronson's  political 
world.  "How  is  it,  Graham?"  he  asked,  turning  to 
the  lawyer.  "You  run  that  Central  Church.  Can't  you 
send  that  fanatic  about  his  business?" 

The  lawyer  shook  his  head  and  frowned.  "The 
members  of  Central  Church  have  gone  daft  about  Rut- 
ledge,"  he  exclaimed,  bitterly.  "I  am  thinking  of  leav- 
ing them  altogether." 

"The  man  who  is  at  the  bottom  of  all  our  trouble  is 
not  Rutledge,"  interposed  Roland  Gregory.  "If  we 
can  get  control  of  the  Courier  and  drive  out  of  Bronson 
that  English  mut,  Nelson,  we  can  soon  get  things  set- 
tled again." 


THE  GANG  229 

This  view  was  agreed  to  by  several  of  the  men, 
especially  Ned  Rowlands. 

"I  think  I  have  a  plan,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  speaking 
in  a  low  voice.  He  looked  around  the  company  of 
men  anxiously.  "I  want  to  be  sure  we  can  count  on 
every  man  present,"  he  explained,  "before  I  tell  my 
plan  of  procedure." 

He  then  outlined  in  detail  his  plans  to  get  possession 
of  the  Courier,  and  turn  it  back  to  its  old  custom  of 
supporting  the  McCrea  policies  in  Bronson. 

"The  press  is  the  real  power  in  the  political  world," 
said  Mr.  Graham.  "We  need  not  be  afraid  of  Rut- 
ledge  if  we  can  control  the  Courier.  The  success  of 

those tabernacle  meetings  was  due  mostly  to  the 

work  of  the  Courier." 

The  scheme  outlined  by  Mr.  Graham  pleased  the 
conference  immensely.  "That  will  fix  Nelson  for 
good,"  said  Roland  Gregory,  rubbing  his  hands  as  he 
heard  his  prospective  father-in-law  explain  his  dark 
device. 

"We  can  get  around  Mr.  Marchmount  if  you  offer 
him  a  proposition  like  that,"  said  McCrea,  when  Mr. 
Graham  had  finished.  The  lawyer's  project  proposed 
the  blackening  of  the  name  of  Reginald  Nelson,  as  his 
eager  advocacy  of  the  people's  cause  was  most  bitterly 
resented  by  some  of  the  industrial  magnates  as  well  as 
by  the  politicians  of  the  McCrea  type. 

"We  will  do  with  him,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  "as  the 
eagle  does  with  the  turtle.  We  will  carry  him  just  as 
high  as  we  can  in  order  that  his  fall  may  be  all  the 
more  severe.  Remember,"  he  cautioned  the  others, 


23o  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"let  us  make  no  report  of  any  stones  about  the  young 
fellow  until  we  get  him  just  where  we  want  him." 

In  addition  to  ending  the  career  of  Reginald  Nelson 
in  Bronson  they  planned  to  acquire  control  over  the 
Courier  by  offering  Mr.  Marchmount  a  large  bonus 
for  his  majority  of  the  shares  of  stock  in  the  company 
controling  the  paper.  "We  will  tempt  Mr.  March- 
mount  to  sell  the  paper  by  agreeing  to  make  Reginald 
Nelson  the  editor  as  his  successor,"  said  Mr.  Graham, 
"and  then  we  will  sell  some  stock  to  Nelson,  enough 
to  get  him  badly  in  debt.  We  will  let  him  imagine  he 
is  editor  for  a  month  or  two,  and  then  we  can  pull  our 
strings  and  throw  him  out,  and  start  the  stories.  That 
will  be  the  end  of  the  Englishman." 

The  cunning  and  astute  mind  of  Mr.  Graham  had 
planned  for  every  detail  of  the  scheme,  and  the  con- 
ference broke  up  with  an  assurance  of  success  in  the 
minds  of  all  the  conspirators. 

"Won't  I  be  glad  to  see  the  last  of  that  fellow,  Nel- 
son," said  Roland  Gregory  as  he  walked  back  to  his 
factory  from  the  conference.  "I  would  like  to  begin 
scattering  those  stories  about  him  now." 

Until  the  "gang"  could  get  control  of  the  Courier 
and  destroy  Reginald  Nelson  they  planned  to  feign 
complete  surrender  to  the  forces  of  reform,  and  at  the 
next  council  meeting  wordy  resolutions  for  immediate 
enforcement  of  the  laws  were  passed. 

The  Christian  leaders  in  Bronson  were  jubilant,  and 
all  fondly  hoped  that  the  battle  was  over,  and  that  the 
city's  moral  and  spiritual  progress  was  now  assured. 


THE  GANG  231 

"It  has  been  a  great  victory,"  said  Reginald  Nelson 
to  Mr.  Marchmount  as.  they  discussed  the  sudden  col- 
lapse of  all  opposition  to  reform.  "Even  the  politi- 
cians are  beginning  to  see  that  the  people  are  the  real 
rulers  and  that  the  policies  of  the  leaders  must  appeal 
to  the  people." 

"I  believe  your  work  on  the  Courier  has  had  a  good 
deal  to  do  with  the  success  of  our  cause,"  responded 
Mr.  Marchmount.  "If  I  were  a  younger  man  I  would 
inaugurate  some  new  policies  in  connection  with  my 
paper  that  would  make  it  a  moral  force  in  Bronson 
second  only  to  the  pulpit." 

"A  newspaper  to-day  moulds  the  political  sentiments 
of  the  people  a  great  deal  more  than  the  pulpit,"  said 
Reginald.  "The  mission  of  the  newspaper  is  different, 
as  it  deals  with  the  external  life,  but  the  spiritual  life 
inculcated  by  the  pulpit  is  of  little  avail  unless  it  finds 
expression  in  the  practical  life  of  the  world." 

"You  are  quite  a  preacher,  Reginald,"  said  his  em- 
ployer, jokingly. 

The  only  man  in  Bronson  who  did  not  rejoice  at  the 
victory  of  reform  was  Allan  Rutledge.  "It  is  too  quick 
and  too  complete  a  change  of  front  to  be  genuine,"  he 
said  to  his  wife,  after  he  had  read  the  report  of  the 
council  meeting  and  the  speech  of  the  mayor.  "Moral 
reformation  depends  on  spiritual  regeneration,  and 
there  has  been  no  spiritual  regeneration  of  the  'gang* 
as  far  as  I  can  see.  I  am  reminded  of  the  old  proverb, 
'I  fear  the  Greeks  even  when  they  bring  gifts.'  I  will 
keep  my  eyes  open  for  I  feel  sure  that  this  reform 
measure  by  our  city  council  is  an  empty  sham." 


232  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

But  the  minister  did  not  dampen  the  ardor  of  his 
associates  and  Edgar  Prince  and  Reginald  Nelson  re- 
joiced greatly,  assured  that  righteousness  and  decency 
had  completely  triumphed.  The  events  of  the  next  few 
weeks  seemed  to  convince  Reginald  that  morning  had 
come  and  that  his  day  had  dawned, 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  NEW  EDITOR. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Marchmount,  I  have  not  seen 
you  for  a  few  days." 

"No,  Mr.  Graham,  I  have  been  confined  to  the  house 
the  last  day  or  two.  I  am  beginning  to  feel  my  age, 
although  I  don't  like  to  confess  that  I  am  an  old  man." 

Mr.  Graham  had  sauntered  into  the  office  of  the 
Courier  one  morning  a  week  or  so  after  the  conference 
of  the  McCrea  supporters.  He  had  heard  of  the  ill- 
ness of  the  editor  and  he  felt  that  the  time  was  pro- 
pitious to  broach  the  subject  of  the  sale  of  the  Courier. 

"You  need  a  good  rest,  my  friend,"  rejoined  Mr. 
Graham.  "Why  don't  you  give  up  work  for  a  year 
and  take  a  good  trip  to  Europe?  It  will  add  ten  years 
to  your  life." 

"I  have  been  thinking  sometimes  that  I  ought  to 
take  a  real  vacation,"  responded  the  editor  wearily. 

"The  Courier  has  had  a  successful  career  and  you 
are  now  well  able  to  retire.  Would  you  care  to  sell 
out?" 

"Sell  out?"  The  editor  repeated  the  words  quickly 
and  looked  at  Mr.  Graham. 

"Yes.     You  know  there  are  always  people  looking 

233 


234  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

for  a  good  investment  and  your  newspaper  is  con- 
sidered a  paying  venture." 

"It  is  more  prosperous  at  present  than  ever  before. 
That  young  Englishman,  Mr.  Nelson,  has  been  success- 
ful above  all  my  hopes  in  making  the  paper  popular 
with  the  great  mass  of  working  men  who  are  so 
numerous  in  Bronson.  When  a  paper  has  a  list  of 
subscribers  like  the  Courier  it  is  easy  to  get  advertising 
contracts  which  make  a  newspaper  pay." 

"What  kind  of  an  editor-in-chief  would  Mr.  Nelson 
make?"  asked  Mr.  Graham/,  in  matter-of-fact  tones. 

"He  could  take  my  place  tomorrow  and  make  the 
Courier  one  of  the  most  influential  papers  in  southern 
Michigan  in  less  than  a  year,"  replied  Mr.  March- 
mount,  with  enthusiasm.  "I  can't  understand  where 
the  boy  gets  his  knowledge  of  the  business.  He  must 
have  had  some  experience  in  England,  but  it  is  strange 
how  quiet  he  keeps  about  his  own  private  life  in  the 
old  country.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  good  deal  of  a  mystery 
to  me." 

"Well,  in  America,  you  know  we  ask  no  questions 
about  the  immigrants  after  they  pass  the  customs 
officers  of  New  York.  We  mark  them  all  one  hundred 
and  if  they  discount  that  it  moist  be  by  their  record 
here.  Mr.  Nelson  has  had  a  good  record  in  Bronson 
as  we  all  know." 

Mr.  Graham  looked  benevolently  at  the  editor  as 
he  spoke.  Before  Mr.  Marchmount  could  make  any 
reply  the  lawyer  continued,  "Seriously,  Mr.  March- 
mount,  I  have  a  friend  who  would  like  to  buy  some  of 
the  stock  of  your  company  just  as  an  investment,  and  I 


THE  NEW  EDITOR  235 

think  if  he  got  control  that  we  could  arrange  to  make 
Mr.  Nelson  the  editor  as  my  word  would  go  a  long 
way  with  him." 

Mr.  Marchmount  was  interested.  "Have  you  any 
proposition  to  make  me?"  he  asked  Mr.  Graham. 

The  lawyer  had  carefully  figured  out  the  amount  ol 
stock  which  he  desired  to  purchase  in  order  to  control 
the  policy  of  the  Courier,  and  he  answered  promptly. 
"Yes,  I  can  make  you  an  offer  right  now,  if  you  care  to 
entertain  it." 

"What  is  your  offer?" 

Mr.  Graham  drew  his  chair  nearer  to  the  editor's 
desk  and  told  him  how  much  money  he  was  instructed 
to  invest.  "You  now  own  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  stock 
yourself,"  said  the  lawyer.  "I  am  ready  to  purchase 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  it  at  the  market  value.  If  Mr. 
Nelson  should  be  chosen  as  editor  we  would  wish  to  see 
him  interested  in  the  paper  to  the  extent  of  the  other 
fifteen  per  cent." 

"I  am  afraid  the  young  man  could  not  make  an 
investment  of  that  amount  at  present.  He  has  told  me 
that  he  has  no  capital  at  present.  I  am  assured  he 
must  be  a  member  of  sonre  wealthy  English  family, 
but  he  came  out  to  America  with  very  little  money." 

"He  will  not  need  to  trouble  about  that,"  answered 
Mr.  Graham.  "We  will  arrange  to  take  his  note  for 
the  amount  of  the  stock,  and  with  the  earnings  of  thf 
paper  the  stock  will  soon  pay  for  itself." 

"I  will  think  this  matter  over  and  have  a  talk  with 
Mr.  Nelson,"  said  Mr.  Marchmount,  finally,  and  Mr. 
Graham  withdrew,  well  satisfied  with  his  progress. 


236  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

On  his  way  to  his  office  the  lawyer  met  Reginald 
Nelson  hurrying  to  the  Courier  building. 

"What  is  your  hurry  this  morning?"  said  Mr. 
Graham,  stopping  and  reaching  out  his  hand  cordially 
to  Reginald. 

The  young  man  was  amazed  at  the  kindly  reception 
as  he  imagined  that  Joy's  father  would  be  his  bitter 
personal  enemy  after  recent  events.  He  shook  hands 
with  Mr.  Graham  somewhat  mechanically  without 
making  any  response. 

"You  young  men  have  won  the  day  in  Bronson," 
said  the  lawyer,  smilingly.  "We  old  fogies  thought 
that  these  new  ideas  of  reform  were  too  advanced,  but 
it  is  evident  that  this  is  the  day  of  the  young  man." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  commend  the  victory  of  the 
reform  elements  in  Bronson,"  said  Reginald  Nelson, 
finding  his  voice.  "We  hope  that  the  city  administra- 
tion will  soon  be  convinced  that  they  have  made  no 
mistake  in  bending  to  the  will  of  the  majority." 

"The  Courier  is  getting  a  good  deal  of  the  credit 
for  the  victory,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  in  a  patronizing 
kind  of  voice,  "and  Mr.  Marchmount  tells  me  that  you 
are  the  real  power  back  of  the  Courier." 

It  was  natural  for  a  young  man  like  Reginald  Nelson 
to  be  highly  flattered  by  these  words  from  Mr.  Gra- 
ham. He  imagined  that  the  lawyer  had  capitulated  com- 
pletely to  the  new  order  of  things,  and  that  henceforth 
Mr.  Graham  would  be  the  friend  and  supporter  of  the 
reform  policies. 

"Thank  you,"  he  responded,  gracefully,  lifting  his 
hat  and  inclining  his  head  slightly  forward. 


THE  NEW  EDITOR  237 

"I  have  a  little  matter  of  business  to  talk  over  with 
you,  Mr.  Nelson,"  continued  the  other.  "Could  you 
come  to  our  house  for  dinner  this  evening  at  six 
o'clock?" 

"I — I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so,  sir,"  responded  Regi- 
nald, somewhat  confused. 

"All  right,"  said  the  lawyer,  waving  his  hand,  and 
walking  away.  "We  shall  look  for  you.  Good-by." 

In  a  deep  quandary  Reginald  Nelson  walked  slowly 
to  the  newspaper  office. 

He  could  not  fathom  the  entire  change  of  front  on 
the  part  of  Mr.  Graham. 

"I  have  not  been  at  his  home  since  the  eventful  night 
when  the  Tourist  Club  visited  London,"  he  said  to  him- 
self. "What  a  fool  I  was  in  those  days!  How  far 
away  they  seem  to  me  now." 

Arriving  at  the  Courier  office,  he  was  called  into 
consultation  at  once  by  Mr.  Marchmount,  who  related1 
to  him  the  conversation  he  had  just  had  with  Mr. 
Graham. 

"That  accounts  for  it,"  said  Reginald,  when  he 
heard  of  Mr.  Graham's  offer  which  might  involve  his 
promotion  to  the  editorship  of  the  Courier.  "I  met? 
Mr.  Graham  a  few  blocks  down  the  street  and  he 
spoke  to  me  more  cordially  than  he  has  ever  done 
before  in  his  life  and  invited  me  to  his  house  to  talk 
over  some  business.  He  asked  me  to  *iine  with  him 
this  evening." 

"Mr.  Nelson,  the  opportunity  of  your  life  has  come. 
For  so  young  a  man  the  position  of  editor  of  this 


238  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

paper  would  be  remarkable.  You  must  have  had  some 
years  of  experience  in  England,  did  you  not?" 

"I  had  bitter  years  of  experience,  I  admit,"  said  the 
other,  his  eyes  getting  moist,  "but  I  see  they  are  yield- 
ing me  the  fruit  of  success  now.  I  have  had  my  ups 
and  downs  in  life,  I  tell  you,  and  a  good  many  more 
downs  than  ups."  Mr.  Marchmount  noticed  the 
emotion  with  which  his  companion  spoke,  and  he  won- 
dered still  more  what  was  in  those  hidden  years  in 
England. 

That  evening  Reginald  Nelson  appeared  at  the 
Cameron  home  at  five  o'clock. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Reginald?"  asked  Mrs.  Came- 
ron, anxiously.  The  t(wo  good  Scotch  people  now 
looked  on  their  boarder  as  a  member  of  their  family 
and  treated  him  like  a  son. 

"I  have  been  invited  to  Mr.  Graham's  for  dinner 
to-night,  Auntie,"  he  replied.  "He  wants  to  see  me  on 
some  important  business.  I  may  surprise  you  some 
day  by  showing  myself  to  be  a  big  man  in  Bronson." 

He  spoke  these  words  jokingly  to  Mrs.  Cameron, 
but  the  good  lady  answered  in  earnest  tones,  "You're 
a  big  man  in  Bronson  already,  Reginald.  Dr.  Rut- 
ledge  told  Mr.  Cameron  the  other  day  that  your 
influence  through  the  Courier  was  second  only  to  that 
of  Mr.  Sunday  in  cleaning  up  Bronson." 

A  little  before  six  o'clock  Reginald  knocked  at  the 
door  of  the  Graham  home.  It  was  opened  by  Joy, 
who  was  evidently  expecting  him.  "We  are  glad  to 
see  you,  Mr.  Nelson,"  she  said,  pleasantly.  "Papa 


THE  NEW  EDITOR  239 

told  us  you  were  coming  to  dinner.  It  is  a  long  time 
since  you  have  been  at  our  house." 

In  a  few  moments  Mrs.  Graham  also  appeared  and 
welcomed  the  young  man  cordially.  While  they  were 
waiting  for  Mr.  Graham,  who  had  not  yet  arrived 
from  downtown,  Reginald  and  the  mother  and 
daughter  talked  of  their  first  meeting  on  board  the 
Neptune.  "It  seems  a  long,  long  time  ago  to  me," 
said  the  immigrant,  "although  it  is  really  less  than  a 
year  ago." 

"You  have  been  doing  well  since  coming  to  Bron- 
son,"  said  Mrs.  Graham.  "I  hope  you  have  not  been 
disappointed  in  America." 

"Not  altogether,"  he  replied,  lightly.  Then  turning 
to  the  lady,  with  a  serious  face,  he  said  earnestly,  "The 
best  thing  I  have  done  since  coming  to  Bronson  was 
the  step  I  took  in  Billy  Sunday's  meetings  when  I 
became  a  Christian." 

"We  have  always  thought  you  were  a  Christian," 
responded  Mrs.  Graham,  quickly. 

"No,  no,"  he  answered.  "I  was  far  from  being  a 
Christian.  I  may  have  possessed  some  pagan  virtues, 
but  the  inner  life  and  light  which  the  Christian  enjoys 
were  unknown  to  me  until  Mr.  Sunday  gave  me  a  new 
vision  of  what  life  is." 

"Try  to  influence  Mr.  Graham  and  Roland  in  that 
direction,"  said  Mrs.  Graham.  "We  cannot  under- 
stand— " 

At  that  moment  the  door  opened  and  Mr.  Graham 
appeared. 

"Good-evening,  Mr.  Nelson,"  he  exclaimed,  greet- 


24o  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

ing  the  young  man  with  a  cordiality  which  surprised 
both  his  wife  and  daughter. 

During  the  dinner  Reginald  Nelson  enjoyed  himself. 
He  had  shared  little  in  social  amenities  during  the  past 
few  months,  and  his  nature  craved  for  them.  He  had 
now  completely  conquered  his  foolish  sentiments  for 
Joy  Grahami,  as  he  had  learned  to  call  them,  and  he 
met  her  with  the  openness  and  frankness  of  a  brother, 
looking  on  her  just  as  he  would  on  a  young  married 
woman.  Joy  noticed  the  marvellous  development  in 
his  character  since  che  days  when,  like  a  boy,  he  had 
entertained  her  on  the  deck  of  the  ocean  liner.  She 
felt  a  growing  respect  for  him  and  was  overjoyed  as 
she  heard  her  father  propose  to  elevate  him  to  the 
editor's  chair  in  the  Courier  office. 

After  the  dinner  Reginald  and  Mr.  Graham  retired 
to  the  library  where  he  wished  to  complete  his  con- 
versation with  the  young  man  in  regard  to  the  business 
proposition. 

"Have  a  cigar,  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  Mr.  Graham, 
handing  his  companion  an  expensive  cigar. 

"Thank  you,  I  do  not  smoke." 

"Don't  smoke!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Graham;  "I  thought 
every  Englishman  from  the  king  down  smoked 
tobacco." 

The  young  man  smiled  and  responded,  "A  good 
many  do  enjoy  burning  incense  to  King  Nicotine,  but 
for  health  reasons  I  gave  up  the  habit." 

"Is  your  health  poor?"  asked  Mr.  Graham,  quickly. 
"You  do  not  look  like  an  invalid." 

"My  health  is  excellent  and  I  want  to  keep  it  so," 


THE  NEW  EDITOR  241 

said  Reginald.  "A  man  needs  all  his  energies  in  these 
days  and  I  found  tobacco  made  me  less  'fit'  than  when 
I  abstained  from  its  use." 

Mr.  Graham  outlined  to  the  young  Englishman  his 
plans  for  the  Courier. 

"I  fear  I  cannot  purchase  the  stock  at  present," 
said  Reginald,  hesitatingly,  when  this  part  of  the 
proposition  was  presented  to  him. 

"That  will  be  an  essential  part  of  the  deal,"  re- 
sponded Mr.  Graham.  "You  can  see,  Mr.  Nelson, 
that  my  friend,  having  his  money  invested  in  this 
newspaper,  naturally  wants  an  editor  who  is  also  finan- 
cially interested  in  the  enterprise." 

With  much  reluctance  Reginald  agreed  to  sign  a 
note  for  the  price  of  fifteen  shares  of  stock. 

Before  he  left  Mr.  Graham's  house  it  was  practi- 
cally decided  that  the  stock  of  Mr.  Marchmount 
should  be  purchased  by  Mr.  Graham's  friend  and 
Reginald. 

"Who  is  this  friend  of  yours?"  asked  Reginald, 
abruptly,  just  before  he  arose  to  leave. 

"He  desires  to  remain  incog,  for  the  present,"  said 
the  lawyer,  evasively.  "I  am  acting  as  his  trustee." 

In  a  few  days  the  change  of  editors  was  made  and 
the  Courier  appeared  with  the  name  of  Reginald 
Nelson  as  editor.  Reginald  had  made  it  plain  that 
he  was  to  be  allowed  to  conduct  the  paper  exactly  as 
he  deemed  best,  and  he  emphasized  the  fact  that  the 
devotion  of  the  Courier  to  reform  issues  would  prob- 
ably be  strengthened  instead  of  diminished. 

"We  well  know  your  stand  on  those  matters,"  Mr. 


242  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

Graham  had  said,  "and  if  we  had  not  desired  an 
editor  who  stood  for  reforms  we  would  not  have 
asked  you  to  assume  charge  of  the  newspaper." 

In  the  first  issue  on  which  his  name  appeared  as 
editor,  Reginald  placed  a  verse  of  Scripture  above  the 
editorial  column,  and  his  first  editorial  was  headed,  in 
leaded  type,  "Our  Ambition." 

In  this  article  he  declared  that  the  policy  of  the 
Courier  would  be  "to  awaken  society  to  its  duty  to  its 
members;  to  scourge  out  of  the  temple  of  politics  the 
wretched  vassals  of  greed  who  have  prostituted  their 
offices  and  betrayed  the  people;  to  encourage  men  of 
clean  minds  and  strong  hearts  to  serve  their  fellow- 
men  for  the  glory  of  that  service." 

Bud  McCrea  and  Mr.  Graham  smiled  deprecat- 
ingly  as  they  read  the  editorial  together  in  the  latter's 
law  office. 

"Ned  Rowlands  will  see  to  it  that  he  doesn't  inter- 
fere with  affairs  in  Bronson  that  are  not  meant  for  the 
public,"  said  Bud  McCrea. 

Ned  Rowlands  had  been  given  the  position  of  city 
reporter  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Graham.  At  the  time 
of  his  selection  for  the  position  Reginald  did  not  know 
the  young  man,  but  he  soon  learned  that  he  was  an 
old  friend  of  Bud  McCrea's,  and  he  was  not  quite 
satisfied  with  his  work  as  city  reporter.  He  seemed 
to  gather  only  commonplace  news,  and  the  vital 
reports  of  the  city's  actual  happenings  on  street  and 
in  factories  became  fewer  and  fewer.  Mr.  Graham, 
however,  insisted  that  Ned  be  retained  as  reporter, 


THE  NEW  EDITOR  243 

and  the  young  editor  began  to  feel  the  limitations  of 
his  position. 

"Isn't  it  just  fine  to  see  how  Reginald  Nelson  is 
pushing  his  way  to  the  front."  Vivian  Derwent  spoke 
these  words  to  Joy  Graham  one  day  as  the  two  girls 
were  visiting  at  Joy's  home. 

"Yes,"  answered  Joy,  enthusiastically.  "You  know 
it  was  through  papa  that  he  was  given  the  editorship. 
Papa  is  quite  interested  in  the  management  of  the 
Courier  himself  now,  and  I  am  glad  of  it  for  I  was 
afraid  he  would  feel  so  badly  about  being  left  off  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  our  church.  He  seems  to  be 
more  interested  in  the  newspaper  than  he  ever  was  in 
the  church." 

"I  think  the  rule  they  made  that  no  one  should  be 
an  officer  of  the  church  unless  they  are  members  is  a 
good  one,  but  I  was  sorry  to  see  your  father  refuse  to 
become  a  member,"  said  Vivian. 

A  little  later  the  conversation  of  the  two  girls 
turned  again  to  Reginald  Nelson,  and  Vivian  said 
shyly,  "If  I  tell  you  something,  will  you  keep  it  a 
secret." 

"I  surely  will,"  promised  Joy  Graham,  opening  her 
eyes  wide  and  wondering  wtiat  the  secret  might  be. 

"I  believe  I  am  in  love  with  Reginald  Nelson,"  said 
Vivian,  bashfully.  "You  know  he  comes  out  to  see 
father  occasionally,  and  he  and  I  have  driven  back  and 
forth  together  several  times,  and  he  is  just  such  a 
dandy  fellow." 

"Do  you  think  he  cares  anything  for  you?"  asked 
Joy. 


244  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"He  is  always  pleasant  to  me,  and  he  seems  to  enjoy 
my  company,"  responded  the  other,  "but  he  has  nevei* 
said  anything  to  me  about  love.  You  know  English- 
men are  very  reserved.  They  are  so  different  from 
the  American  young  men." 

"Such  as  George  Calchvell,  for  example,"  laughed 
Joy  Graham. 

"Yes,"  said  Vivian,  looking  serious.  "George  is 
always  protesting  his  love  to  me,  and  he  wants  me  to 
become  engaged.  I  think  I  might  like  George  all 
right  if  I  had  not  met  Reginald." 

"Oh,  leave  Reginald  alone,"  responded  Joy, 
brusquely.  "George  is  just  dying  of  love  for  you,  and 
you  have  always  known  him.  I  thought  you  were 
engaged  once." 

"Oh,  that  was  long  ago  when  I  was  just  a  child," 
replied  Vivian,  tossing  her  head.  "He  tried  to  keep 
me  to  that  engagement  the  other  day,  but  I  told  him 
it  was  a  woman's  privilege  to  change  her  mind.  You 
never  changed  your  mind,  did  you,  Joy?"  she  con- 
tinued. "You  and  Roland  have  been  engaged  for  a 
long  time.  When  is  your  wedding?" 

Vivian  noticed  the  utter  lack  of  enthusiasm  shown 
by  her  friend  as  Joy  answered,  "The  day  has  been  set 
for  October  the  twentieth." 

"Why,  what's  the  matter?  You  would  think  you 
were  announcing  the  day  of  your  funeral  instead  of 
your  wedding." 

Joy  Graham  did  not  answer  farther  in  regard  to  her 
wedding  and  changed  the  subject  of  their  conversation. 

The  subject  of  her  marriage  to  Roland  Gregory  was 


THE  NEW  EDITOR  245 

becoming  one  of  anxiety  to  Joy  Graham.  She  began 
to  doubt  if  she  really  felt  towards  the  young  manu- 
facturer as  a  wife  ought  to  feel  towards  a  husband. 
She  had  mentioned  her  doubts  one  day  to  her  father, 
but  he  had  treated  her  rather  severely. 

"It  is  too  late  now,  Joy,  to  change  your  mind.  The 
engagement  has  been  announced,  and  I  have  made 
some  business  engagements  with  Roland  on  the 
strength  of  your  marriage  to  him.  Why,  does  not 
your  Christian  religion  teach  you  to  keep  your  word, 
and  have  you  not  pledged  your  word  to  Roland?" 

"But  people  break  engagements,"  the  daughter  had 
urged. 

"Of  course,  they  do,"  her  father  answered  with 
some  heat,  "and  people  break  their  marriage  vows, 
and  people  break  the  laws  of  God  and  man,  but  I 
thought  Christianity  taught  people  to  keep  pledges." 

This  conversation  made  Joy  Graham  decide  to 
abide  by  her  former  pledge  to  Roland  Gregory  that 
she  would  be  his  wife,  but  as  time  passed  and  his 
habits  became  more  dissipated  she  felt  estranged  from 
him  more  and  more. 

At  last  she  went  to  her  mother,  but  Mrs.  Graham 
well  knew  her  husband's  position  in  the  matter,  and 
she  sought  to  encourage  Joy's  fading  attachment  to  her 
girlhood  friend.  "You  used  to  think  there  was  no 
one  in  the  world  but  Roland,"  said  her  mother. 

"But  Roland  has  changed,"  pleaded  Joy.  "We  do 
not  agree  on  anything  hardly.  I  am  afraid  a  marriage 
to  him  will  only  be  a  mockery." 


246  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"Poor  Roland  will  surely  be  lost  unless  you  save 
him,"  said  Mrs.  Graham. 

This  argument  conquered  Joy  and  she  began  to 
cultivate  anew  her  regard  for  the  man  to  whom  she 
had  plighted  her  troth.  The  day  of  the  wedding  had 
been  set,  but  she  put  it  as  far  off  as  possible.  Her 
health  began  to  suffer  from  the  conflicting  emotions  in 
her  soul,  and  her  spirits  languished.  But  she  saw  her 
duty  now  to  be  the  salvation  of  Roland  and  she  girded 
herself  for  the  necessary  sacrifice, 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

INDEPENDENCE  DAY. 

The  citizens  of  Bronson  were  preparing  for  a 
glorious  celebration  on  Independence  Day.  For  weeks 
the  business  men  and  factories  had  been  working  on 
floats,  banners  and  street  decorations,  and  when  July 
the  Fourth  dawned  it  found  the  Michigan  city  ready 
to  greet  it  in  a  way  which  would  have  done  honor  to 
the  largest  cities  in  the  land.  A  number  of  the  more 
public-spirited  citizens,  led  by  Edgar  Prince,  George 
Edwards,  Mr.  Marchmount,  and  others  like-minded, 
had  charge  of  the  celebration  and  they  spared  no 
efforts  to  make  it  a  great  occasion.  Allan  Rutledge 
had  been  engaged  to  make  the  oration  at  the  park, 
following  the  monster  parade. 

Both  Reginald  Nelson  and  Allan  Rutledge  were  also 
preparing  to  make  Independence  Day  a  memorable 
one  that  year  in  Bronson.  As  the  weeks  had  passed 
it  became  more  and  more  apparent  to  these  two  men 
that  the  city  administration  had  been  altogether  insin- 
cere in  their  professions  of  reform,  and  that  the  civic 
evils  which  had  spread  their  cancerous  infection 
throughout  the  city  for  years  were  more  active  than 
ever.  In  vain  Reginald  sought  to  arouse  Ned  Row- 
lands to  his  task  as  city  reporter.  The  young  fellow 

247 


248  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

seemed  blind,  and  reported  to  Reginald  that  the  police 
were  enforcing  the  laws  without  fear  or  favor.  There 
was  almost  an  open  rupture  between  Mr.  Graham  and 
the  young  editor  in  regard  to  Rowlands,  Reginald 
claiming  that  he  was  incompetent  and  the  lawyer 
insisting  that  he  must  be  retained  on  the  staff  of  the 
newspaper.  Finally,  Mr.  Townley,  Dr.  Rutledge  and 
the  editor  held  a  conference  in  regard  to  civic  condi- 
tions. It  was  agreed  to  bring  a  detective  to  the  city 
to  find  out  just  what  was  going  on  and  get  the  required 
evidence  which  was  needed  in  order  that  there  might 
be  a  complete  public  exposure  of  the  treachery  of  the 
city  administration.  The  detective  came  and  in  a 
short  time  had  gathered  enough  evidence  to  convince 
Reginald  that  no  attack  he  could  make  on  the  city 
administration  would  be  too  severe. 

Meanwhile,  the  .circulation  of  the  Courier  was 
falling  off.  People  were  losing  confidence  in  it.  The 
presence  of  Ned  Rowlands  on  the  staff  was  discourag- 
ing to  many  of  the  radical  reformers.  Reginald  Nelson 
felt  that  his  position  was  becoming  unbearable,  and 
he  decided  on  a  bold  stroke  of  policy  which  would 
make  him  free  as  an  editor  and  put  an  immediate  close 
to  a  condition  of  things  which  were  intolerable  to  him. 
The  young  editor  knew  nothing  of  the  schemes  of 
the  conspirators  who  were  now  confident  that  they  had 
Reginald  in  their  grasp.  They  planned  in  a  very 
short  time  to  take  advantage  of  the  falling  subscrip- 
tion list  of  the  Courier  to  unceremoniously  oust  the 
budding  editor  from  his  chair,  and  follow  up  this 
blow  by  circulating  stories  defaming  his  character,  and 


INDEPENDENCE  DAY  249 

also  by  beginning  action  in  the  courts  for  the  immedi- 
ate payment  of  the  notes  which  Reginald  Nelson  had 
signed  in  payment  for  his  stock  in  the  Courier. 

The  evening  before  the  Fourth  Allan  Rutledge  and 
Reginald  were  closeted  together  in  the  private  office 
of  the  editor. 

"I  have  a  complete  list  of  the  illegal  and  vicious 
resorts  which  are  open  every  night,"  said  Reginald, 
holding  a  paper  in  his  hand,  "and  I  also  have  a  list 
giving  the  names  of  the  property  holders  who  are 
receiving  rent  from  these  lawbreakers." 

"And  your  plan  is  to  give  all  your  information  to  the 
public?"  The  minister  spoke  slowly  and  deliberately. 

"Precisely,"  answered  the  other,  promptly.  "I  feel 
there  will  be  no  danger  of  advertising  these  resorts  by 
publishing  their  locations,  as  I  am  fully  convinced  that 
the  issue  of  the  Courier  tomorrow  will  mean  the  elimi- 
nation of  this  evil  from  Bronson  for  a  time,  at  least." 

"And  you  will  publish  the  names  of  the  property 
holders  also?"  responded  Allan  Rutledge. 

"Certainly.  It  is  the  privilege  of  a  newspaper  to 
make  public  such  information  at  any  time." 

"Let  me  see  the  list  of  the  property  holders,"  said 
the  minister. 

He  took  a  paper  from  Reginald's  hand  and  glanced 
over  it. 

"Isn't  this  an  awful  record?"  he  exclaimed.  "Why,, 
here  are  some  of  our  leading  capitalists  in  Bronson. 
What  can  they  mean  by  renting  property  for  such 
vile  uses?" 

"Oh,   that   is    a    simple   proposition,"    replied   the 


250  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

editor.  "I  discovered  the  secret  of  such  things  while  I 
was  still  in  England.  Reputable  business  would  only 
pay  an  interest  of  from  5  per  cent,  to  10  per  cent.,  but 
these  resorts  pay  an  interest  on  the  investment  of  15 
per  cent,  to  30  per  cent." 

"It  is  a  mere  matter  then  of  sordid  gain,"  said  Allan 
Rutledge,  in  disgust. 

"That  is  all,"  replied  the  editor.  "Capital  asks  for 
nothing  but  interest.  It  cares  not  for  God  nor  man." 

"Go  ahead,"  said  the  minister,  with  a  stern  look 
on  his  face.  "Make  your  editorial  and  your  exposure 
as  complete  and  radical  as  you  can  make  it.  In  my 
speech  in  the  park  I  will  refer  to  your  paper,  and 
demand  that  the  citizens  of  Bronson  declare  another 
revolution." 

Independence  Day  dawned  serenely  beautiful.  The 
rising  sun  was  greeted  with  cannons  and  loud  reports 
of  giant  firecrackers.  A  drum  corps  paraded  the  streets 
at  an  early  hour,  arousing  the  city  for  a  day  of 
patriotic  enthusiasm. 

It  was  still  early  in  the  morning  when  the  streets, 
began  to  fill  up  with  the  crowds.  As  morning  advanced 
the  number  of  the  holiday-makers  increased.  Every 
incoming  train  brought  its  quota,  and  hundreds  of 
automobiles  and  carriages  conveyed  the  population  of 
the  rural  districts  to  the  scene  of  excitement  and 
patriotism. 

About  ten  o'clock  came  the  great  parade  of  floats, 
preceded  by  a  long  line  of  gaily  decorated  automobiles. 
The  floats  represented  the  various  industries  and  busi- 
ness houses  of  Bronson  and  some  of  them  had  been 


INDEPENDENCE  DAY  251 

elaborately  adorned  and  made  a  magnificent  spectacle. 
At  the  head  of  the  parade  a  traction  engine,  fitted  up 
to  represent  a  warship  and  carrying  a  band,  moved 
slowly  forward,  with  flying  flags  and  gay  music. 

The  United  States  is  fortunate  in  its  national  holi- 
days which  are  observed  annually,  and  which  tend  to 
foster  patriotism  and  national  unity.  Memorial  Day, 
in  the  green  springtime,  recalls  to  the  national  mind 
the  heroic  struggles  of  former  days,  and  reminds  the 
citizens  of  our  country  that  the  price  of  liberty  has 
always  been  self-sacrifice  and  suffering.  In  the  fall  of 
the  year  the  annual  Thanksgiving  Day,  which  gathers 
together  the  citizenship  in  their  homes  and  churches, 
gives  emphasis  to  the  bounty  of  God  and  His  favors 
to  this  land  of  destiny.  Midway  between  these  two 
holidays  comes  the  glorious  Independence  Day,  cele- 
brating the  birth  of  the  nation,  and  instilling  into  the 
minds  of  all  the  fundamental  virtues  of  the  fathers  of 
our  country  and  the  principles  which  make  democracy 
possible. 

As  the  monster  parade  moved  slowly  through  the 
streets  of  Bronson  that  morning  Reginald  Nelson 
mingled  with  the  crowd  of  on-lookers,  and  felt  his 
whole  being  thrilled  with  the  patriotic  emotions  which 
were  vibrant  amongst  the  people.  For  the  moment  he 
forgot  that  he  had  staked  his  entire  future  on  the 
issue  of  the  Courier  for  that  day.  He  forgot  the  rage 
and  anger  that  unquestionably  would  be  aroused 
against  him  by  the  men  whose  greed  and  falsity  he  had 
exposed. 

"This  is  the  true  land  of  destiny,"  he  said  to  him- 


252  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

self,  as  he  gazed  on  the  passing  pageant,  and  noticed 
the  enthusiasm  and  spirit  of  the  crowds  which  had 
massed  themselves  on  either  side  of  the  line  of  march. 

Just  at  that  moment  there  were  some  of  Bronson's 
citizens  who  were  not  at  all  interested  in  its  celebration 
of  Independence  Day.  In  the  office  of  Mr.  Graham  a 
little  company  composed  of  Roland  Gregory,  Ned  Row- 
lands and  Bud  McCrea  were  sitting  with  blanched 
faces. 

"Why  didn't  you  report  to  us  what  he  was  going  to 
do?"  McCrea  was  saying  angrily  to  Ned  Rowlands. 

"I  knew  nothing  about  it,"  the  other  replied,  in  a 
frightened  tone  of  voice.  "I  did  not  know  there  was  a 
detective  working  in  the  city  or  I  should  have  advised 
yo«  at  once." 

"What  is  to  be  done,  Graham?"  asked  Bud  McCrea, 
in  a  hopeless  tone. 

"The  fellow  has  taken  advantage  of  us,"  replied 
Mr.  Graham,  speaking  with  emphasis,  "but  he  is  in 
our  power.  Today  we  oust  him  from  his  place  as 
editor.  We  will  start  the  stories  all  over  the  city.  I 
will  begin  action  against  him  in  the  courts  tomorrow 
for  payment  on  his  notes.  You  know  they  read  "pay- 
able on  demand."  We  will  demand  immediate  pay- 
ment, and  I  know  he  will  not  be  able  to  meet  it,  and 
we  will  ruin  his  credit.  Nelson  will  find  out  a  thing 
or  two  before  he  is  a  week  older." 

The  eyes  of  the  lawyer  flashed  fire  as  he  uttered 
these  last  words.  On  the  table  before  him  lay  the 
special  morning  edition  of  the  Courier.  In  heavy  lead- 
ed type  was  the  story  of  the  insincerity  of  the  city  ad- 


INDEPENDENCE  DAY  253 

ministration  in  regard  to  reform  of  abuses  and  a  com- 
plete list  of  all  the  gambling  places  and  vicious  resorts 
in  Bronson,  as  well  as  the  names  of  the  owners  of  the 
property.  It  was  a  terrible  exposure. 

"But  it's  too  late,"  said  McCrea,  with  a  groan.  "The 
people  will  be  roused  to  madness  by  this  mass  of  stuff 
and  they  will  make  a  clean-up  themselves." 

Mr.  Graham  was  silent  for  a  few  moments  and 
then  said  confidently,  "The  history  of  these  spasmodic 
efforts  at  so-called  reform  shows  that  these  ebullitions 
of  popular  outcry  are  short-lived.  Let  us  be  patient. 
With  the  Courier  in  the  hands  of  a  safe  man  we  will 
have  everything  calmed  down  by  election  time." 

"I  hope  so,"  responded  McCrea,  but  he  shook  his 
head,  dolefully. 

"We  must  proceed  to  business,"  said  Mr.  Graham. 
"I  want  to  go  over  to  the  park  and  hear  Dr.  Rutledge 
give  his  oration.  Now  we  will  depose  Nelson  right 
away,  and  you,  Rowlands,  are  to  take  charge.  The 
office  is  closed  until  five  o'clock  this  evening.  When 
Nelson  returns  you  order  him  out  and  tell  him  that 
the  officers  of  the  Courier  Publishing  Company  have 
discharged  him,  and  have  placed  you  in  charge." 

"Better  send  a  couple  of  good  trusty  policemen  up 
to  the  office  at  five  o'clock,"  said  Ned  Rowlands. 
"That  Englishman  is  a  tough  proposition  when  he  gets 
excited." 

"I  am  glad  you  suggested  that,"  said  Mr.  Graham. 
"I  will  see  that  you  are  amply  protected  as  the  lawful 
editor." 

After   some   further  discussion  the   little   company 


254  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

separated,  Mr.  Grahami  walking  to  the  large  Bronson 
Park  where  the  crowds  had  already  assembled  to  hear 
the  orator  of  the  day. 

A  chorus  was  singing  a  patriotic  melody  as  the 
lawyer  approached  the  great  mass  of  people  who  had 
surrounded  the  speaker's  stand. 

At  the  close  of  the  music  Edgar  Prince  stepped 
forward  and  introduced  Allan  Rutledge  as  the  speaker 
for  the  occasion,  making  a  short  complimentary  ad- 
dress. Mr.  Graham  started  as  he  saw  the  minister 
stride  to  the  front  of  the  platform,  for  he  noticed  that 
he  held  in  his  hands  a  copy  of  the  Independence  Day; 
edition  of  the  Courier. 

Allan  Rutledge  received  an  ovation  from  the  im- 
mense throng,  as  he  was  now  as  well  known  and  as 
popular  in  Bronson  as  he  had  formerly  been  in  Wel- 
lington. After  a  few  introductory  remarks,  he  put 
the  audience  en  rapport  with  himself  by  telling  the 
story  of  a  patriotic  banquet  which  was  held  one  Fourth 
of  July  in  Chicago.  "After  the  banquet,"  he  said,  "an 
American  got  up  to  propose  a  toast  to  his  native  land, 
and  he  called  on  them  to  honor  the  United  States  of 
America  as  the  great  country  which  was  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Canada,  on  the  south  by  the  Carribean 
Sea,  on  the  east  by  the  Atlantic  and  on  the  west  by  the 
Pacific.  Instantly,"  continued  Allan  Rutledge,  "a 
German  rose  to  his  feet  and  in  tones  of  indignation 
declared  that  he  objected  to  the  toast.  'It  does  not 
properly  honor  our  great  and  glorious  country,'  he 
said.  'I  want  to  propose  a  toast  to  America,  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  North  Pole  and  on  the  south  by  the 


INDEPENDENCE  DAY  255 

South  Pole,  on  the  east  by  Ireland  and  on  the  west  by 
China.'  Before  he  had  taken  his  seat,"  continued  the 
minister,  "an  Irishman  was  on  his  feet  and  getting  on 
top  of  his  chair,  he  cried,  'I  object  to  this  belittling  of 
our  glorious  country.  I  want  to  make  that  toast  as  it 
ought  to  be,  'Here's  to  America,  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  aurora  borealis,  on  the  south  by  the  procession 
of  the  equinoxes,  on  the  east  by  primeval  chaos,  and 
on  the  west  by  the  Judgment  Day!'  '  The  great  com- 
pany of  assembled  patriots  cheered  and  applauded  as 
Allan  Rutledge  finished  his  story,  and  he  proceeded  in 
earnest  tones :  "This  is  indeed  a  glorious  day.  It  is 
the  birthday  of  our  nation,  this  glorious  nation  which 
is  God's  last  opportunity  for  the  human  race.  The 
history  of  our  country  is  the  history  of  the  rise, 
progress  and  victory  of  civil  and  religious  liberty." 
The  speaker  then  eloquently  reviewed  the  leading 
events  which  led  up  to  the  signing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  and  the  principles  for  which  the 
fathers  fought  and  bled  and  died. 

The  audience  was  listening  with  the  closest  atten- 
tion, when  suddenly  the  speaker  ceased.  He  stood 
silent  for  a  full  moment.  Every  eye  rested  upon  him, 
wondering  what  he  meant  by  his  long  pause. 

"But  Bronson  is  unworthy  of  a  place  in  this  land 
consecrated  by  the  blood  of  our  heroes,"  he  exclaimed 
in  thunder  tones.  "Why  do  we  celebrate  Independence 
Day?  We  have  abandoned  the  principles  of  our 
fathers,  and  greed  for  gain  and  blasted  honor  have 
now  the  preeminence  amongst  us." 

The  crowd  was  thunder-struck.    They  stared  at  the 


256  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

minister,  unable  to  understand  his  meaning.  He  held 
out  the  copy  of  the  Courier  which  had  been  in  his 
hand  during  all  his  speech  and  shouted  louder  than 
ever,  "Have  you  read  today's  Courier?  It  will  tell 
you  the  black  story  of  our  infamy  and  shame." 

In  a  few  words  the  speaker  then  recounted  the  story 
of  exposure  which  was  told  in  the  Independence  Day 
issue  of  the  paper,  which  was  still  unread  by  the  vast 
majority  of  his  listeners,  and  proceeded  with  increasing 
enthusiasm  to  stir  up  the  people  to  end  the  rule  of 
lawlessness  and  anarchy  in  their  favored  community. 

"I  well  know  these  vile  enemies  of  our  country's 
good  cannot  stand  the  light  of  day,  and  your  brave 
editor,  Reginald  Nelson,  has  turned  on  the  light,  and 
Bronson  will  yet  be  clean." 

At  the  mention  of  the  editor's  name  a  mighty  cheer 
went  up  from  the  crowd  and  one  farmer  was  seen  to 
throw  his  hat  high  in  the  air.  It  was  Vivian  Derwent's 
father,  who  was  listening  with  intense  eagerness  to  the 
oration  of  the  speaker  and  who  went  wild  with 
enthusiasm  when  Allan  Rutledge  referred  in  this  way 
to  the  young  Englishman. 

"Mr.  Nelson's  all  right!"  he  shouted. 

The  reception  which  was  given  to  Reginald  Nelson's 
name  made  Mr.  Graham  scowl  darkly  as  he  stood  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  crowd,  glaring  at  the  speaker.  He 
felt  that  he  had  overreached  himself  in  giving,  even 
for  a  brief  space,  the  power  of  the  press  into  the 
hands  of  the  able  Englishman.  "This  is  serious,"  he 
said  to  himself. 

In  a  little  while  the  address  was  over  and  the  people 


INDEPENDENCE  DAY  257 

thronged  to  the  platform  to  congratulate  the  speaker 
and  to  assure  him  of  their  assent  to  his  vigorous 
attacks  on  conditions  in  Bronson. 

"We  are  going  to  change  things  and  change  them 
soon,"  said  Edgar  Prince,  loudly,  as  he  shook  hands 
with  Allan  Rutledge.  A  friend  of  the  manufacturer 
heard  his  words  and  shouted,  "Edgar  Prince  for  our 
next  mayor!"  There  was  instant  applause  by  the  com- 
pany,  and  a  mayoralty  candidate  was  there  and  then 
nominated. 

Amongst  the  others  who  made  their  way  to  the 
minister  was  Reginald  Nelson  himself.  He  had  been 
lost  in  the  crowd,  and  had  listened  with  profound 
interest  to  the  oration  of  his  friend.  At  the  mention 
of  his  newspaper  and  at  the  cheers  which  the  crowd 
gave  when  Allan  Rutledge  spoke  his  name  the  English- 
man was  strangely  moved.  Tears  cam£  to  his  eyes 
and  in  his  soul  he  said  to  himself,  "It  does  pay  a  man 
to  devote  his  time  for  the  interest  of  his  fellow  men." 

"Here  is  the  real  hero  of  the  day,"  cried  Allan  Rut- 
ledge,  as  he  espied  Reginald.  "Come  up  here,  Mr. 
Nelson,  and  let  the  people  see  you." 

Reginald  was  helped  up  on  the  platform,  and  the 
people  shouted  on  every  side,  "Speech,  speech !" 

"Say  something  to  them,"  urged  Allan  Rutledge, 
who  was  standing  at  his  side. 

"I  want  to  thank  you  good  people  of  Bronson,"  he 
began,  simply,  "for  this  reception  which  you  hn.ve 
given  me.  I  just  wish  to  state  in  this  public  way  that  it 
grieved  me  to  the  heart  to  publish  the  real  state  of 
Bronson's  misgovernment  as  I  have  done  in  today's 


258  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

issue,  but  I  did  it  in  the  interests  of  your  homes  and 
firesides.  I  believe  you  will  not  allow  such  conditions 
to  exist  when  you  know  about  them.  My  enemies  will 
say  that  I  have  attacked  Bronson,  but  I  have  only 
driven  the  knife  of  publicity  into  a  cancerous  ulcer 
which  is  poisoning  the  very  life  of  our  community.  I 
thank  you." 

It  was  well  for  Reginald  Nelson  that  he  was  given 
the  opportunity  of  making  this  brief  word  of  address 
on  that  occasion,  as  many  thousands  heard  him,  almost 
the  entire  crowd  still  lingering  in  the  park.  The  cheers 
and  applause  which  greeted  him  showed  that,  even  if 
his  Independence  Day  edition  lost  him  the  friendship 
of  some  of  the  people,  the  great  mass  of  the  populace 
were  on  his  side.  He  felt  assured  that  the  Courier 
had  been  given  a  new  lease  of  life. 

After  the  speaking  had  finished  the  great  company 
separated  into  family  and  neighborhood  groups  and 
hundreds  of  little  picnic  parties  dotted  Bronson  Park. 
Mr.  Derwent  carried  Reginald  off  with  him  to  a  se- 
cluded part  of  the  grounds  where  his  family  were 
assembled  with  a  few  friends.  As  the  editor  left  the 
stand  in  company  with  Mr.  Derwent  his  eyes  met  the 
glance  of  Mr.  Graham.  The  lawyer  made  no  signs  of 
recognition  and  the  angry  scowl  on  his  face  told  Regi- 
nald that  if  he  had  gained  some  friends  that  day  there 
was  one  powerful  enemy  whom  he  had  aroused. 

Vivian  Derwent  was  the  life  of  the  little  picnic 
party  which  Reginald  had  joined.  She  seated  herself 
familiarly  at  his  side  and  looked  after  his  wants  assidu- 


INDEPENDENCE  DAY  259 

ously.  "You  are  not  eating  anything,"  she  complained, 
as  she  passed  him  a  big  platter  of  tempting  meats. 

The  editor  tried  to  dismiss  from  his  mind  the  un- 
pleasant feelings  which  Mr.  Graharri's  scowl  had 
aroused  and  entered  into  the  gaiety  of  the  occasion. 

"That's  better,"  said  the  girl,  seeing  her  companion 
enjoy  his  open-air  banquet. 

"It  is  hard  for  any  one  not  to  feel  comfortable  in 
your  presence,  Miss  Vivian,"  said  Reginald,  gallantly. 
"I  think  I  would  soon  get  fat  if  I  had  you  to  wait  on  me 
every  day." 

"Vivian  is  at  home  now  for  the  holidays,"  said  Mr. 
Derwent,  kindly.  "You  look  thin  and  tired,  Mr. 
Nelson.  Come  out  and  see  us  for  a  few  days  and  we 
will  put  new  life  in  you.  There's  no  place  like  the 
farm,  you  know." 

"Thank  you,"  rejoined  Reginald.  "I  have  been 
feeling  the  need  of  a  little  vacation.  I  may  take  you 
at  your  word  before  long." 

"That  will  be  splendid,"  said  Vivian,  joyfully,  while 
Mrs.  Derwent  nodded  her  assent  also. 

Reginald  Nelson  little  knew  how  soon  he  would 
accept  this  invitation  or  under  what  circumstances  he 
would  seek  the  refuge  of  the  Derwent  home  for  re- 
cuperation. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

SWIFT  PUNISHMENT. 

It  was  after  five  o'clock  before  Reginald  Nelson 
arrived  at  the  Courier  office  on  the  evening  of  the 
eventful  July  Fourth.  He  was  surprised  to  see  his  own 
private  office  open  when  he  entered,  and  to  hear  some 
one  manipulating  his  typewriter.  He  passed  quickly 
inside  and  was  amazed  to  see  Ned  Rowlands  working 
diligently  at  the  writing  machine. 

"What's  the  matter,  Ned?"  he  exclaimed.  "Is  your 
own  typewriter  broken  ?" 

"Have  you  not  heard  the  news?"  asked  the  other, 
in  response. 

"What  news?" 

"The  directors  had  a  meeting  this  morning  and 
gave  me  the  position  of  editor  of  the  Courier.  I  am 
sorry  for  you,  Nelson,  but  that  edition  of  yours  today 
was  a  bad  break,  and  I  am  afraid  it  has  ruined  your 
life." 

"Ruined  my  life?"  said  Reginald  Nelson,  in  a  dazed 
•way.  Then  he  aroused  himself.  "Get  out  of  here, 
Rowlands,"  he  ordered.  "I  am  the  editor  of  the 
Courier.  The  Englishman's  eyes  were  shining  as  he 
spoke. 

"Sorry,  old  man,"  said  the  other,  familiarly,  "but 

260 


4h 


'GET  OUT   OF   HERE,   ROWLANDS,   1   AM  THZ   EDITOR   OF   THE   COURIER. 


SWIFT  PUNISHMENT  261 

you'll  have  to  take  your  medicine.  Here  is  my  intro- 
ductory editorial,"  and  Ned  Rowlands  handed  Regi- 
nald a  sheet  of  typewriting.  The  Englishman  glanced 
at  the  headline  and  saw  that  the  article  was  entitled, 
"Greetings  from  the  Courier's  New  Editor."  He  tore 
the  sheet  of  paper  into  fragments  and  threw  them  on 
the  floor. 

"Get  out  of  here,"  he  thundered  to  his  former  city 
reporter. 

Ned  Rowlands  laughed  sarcastically  in  his  face  and 
sneered,  "You  forgot,  Nelson,  that  you  were  not  work- 
ing for  the  public,  but  that  you  were  working  for  the 
Courier  Publishing  Company.  They  have  no  more  use 
for  you." 

"And  I  have  no  more  use  for  you,"  exclaimed  Regi- 
nald, seizing  the  other  by  the  coat  collar.  "I  have 
wanted  to  discharge  you  for  a  month  and  I  do  it  now. 
Your  place  is  vacant." 

As  he  was  speaking  these  words  Reginald  marched 
Ned  Rowlands  to  the  door  of  his  private  office,  and 
pushed  him  into  the  outer  room.  The  ousted  city 
reporter  made  ho  resistance,  being  alarmed  at  the 
excitement  of  the  other,  and  he  was  hastening  away 
when  he  ran  square  into  a  gentleman  who  was  ap- 
proaching the  editorial  sanctum. 

"Excuse  me,  sir,"  said  Rowlands,  glancing  up  and 
ceeing  the  face  of  Mr.  Graham,  white  with  anger. 

"Come  back  with  me,  you  coward,"  said  the  lawyer, 
in  a  low  tone.  After  the  expulsion  of  his  city  reporter, 
Reginald  had  slammed  the  door  and  had  just  seated 
himself  at  his  desk  to  collect  his  thoughts  when  he 


262  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

heard  the  voice  of  Mr.  Graham,  saying,  "You  are  dis- 
charged as  editor  of  the  Courier,  Mr.  Nelson.  We 
have  no  farther  use  for  your  services  and  you  will 
oblige  us  by  leaving  the  office  at  once.  We  have 
appointed  Ned  Rowlands  in  your  place." 

Reginald  Nelson  turned  and  glared  at  the  intruders. 

"Come,  come,"  said  the  lawyer,  sharply.  "Get  out 
of  here." 

"Who  has  discharged  me?"  asked  Reginald,  re* 
straining  himself  with  difficulty. 

"The  directors  of  the  Courier  Publishing  Com- 
pany." 

"Who  are  these  directors?"  asked  Reginald.  "I  am 
a  part-owner  of  this  paper  and  I  claim  to  have  some 
voice  in  the  management."  Reginald  Nelson  had  paid 
no  attention  to  the  business  management  of  the  news- 
paper, leaving  that  entirely  to  Mr.  Graham. 

"I  control  a  majority  of  the  stock  of  this  concern," 
said  Mr.  Graham,  loftily,  "and  I  have  decided  that 
such  a  person  as  you  is  not  fit  to  be  editor  of  the 
Courier.  You  will  oblige  me  by  leaving  this  office  at 
once  or  I  shall  be  forced  to  have  you  expelled  by  the 
officers  of  the  law." 

Reginald  Nelson  slowly  began  to  see  his  hopeless 
position.  He  had  looked  on  himself  as  part  owner  and 
manager  of  his  paper.  He  believed  that  his  course  as 
an  editor  would  be  judged  successful  if  he  could  keep 
his  subscription  lists  growing,  as  a  newspaper  is  saved 
or  damned  by  this  standard  in  the  commercial  world. 
Reginald  felt  that  his  declining  number  of  readers  was 
due  to  the  incompetency  of  his  city  reporter,  and  the 


SWIFT  PUNISHMENT  263 

consequent  loss  of  confidence  in  the  Courier  by  large 
numbers  of  the  working  people.  He  had  been  assured 
by  the  events  of  the  day  that  his  bold  attack  on  the 
city  administration,  and  his  exposure  of  the  evils  which 
were  tolerated  by  the  Bronson  officials,  had  re-estab- 
lished the  credit  of  the  paper  as  a  genuine  friend  of 
reform.  He  had  an  extra  large  edition  of  that  day's 
paper  printed,  but  after  Allan  Rutledge's  speech  at 
Bronson  Park  the  demand  for  the  Courier  was  so 
great  that  the  edition  was  soon  exhausted  and  the 
young  editor  had  been  congratulated  on  every  hand. 

"I  thought  the  Courier  had  deserted  us,"  an  en- 
thusiastic advocate  of  reform  had  declared  to  him 
during  the  afternoon,  "but  your  issue  of  today  will 
make  the  Courier  the  most  popular  paper  in  all  Michi- 
gan." 

Encouraged  by  the  marks  of  popular  approval  on 
every  hand,  and  deeming  that  his  position  as  editor 
had  been  assured  by  his  Independence  Day  edition, 
Reginald  Nelson  had  returned  to  the  Courier  office  in 
high  spirits.  His  interview  with  Ned  Rowlands  and 
the  words  of  Mr.  Graham  had  almost  unmanned  him. 
He  could  not  as  yet  quite  understand  the  situation. 

"I  will  admit  that  the  circulation  of  the  paper 
dropped  a  thousand  or  so  during  the  past  few  weeks," 
said  Reginald,  in  a  perplexed  tone,  "but  that  was  the 
result  of  a  lack  of  confidence  in  us  as  genuine  friends 
of  reform.  The  edition  of  today  has  convinced  the 
most  sceptical  that  the  Courier  will  represent  the 
people,  and  I  look  for  an  immediate  rise  in  the  number 


264  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

of  papers  printed.  I  was  going  to  order  one  thousand 
extra  copies  struck  off  for  tomorrow." 

Mr.  Graham  listened  impatiently  until  Reginald  had 
ceased  and  responded  quickly,  "We  don't  want  you  as 
our  editor  a  day  longer  if  the  circulation  increased  at 
once  ten  thousand  a  day." 

In  a  moment  the  whole  situation  became  plain  to 
Reginald.  The  Courier  had  been  purchased  by  the 
enemies  of  reform.  His  position  as  editor  had  been 
given  him  in  order  to  blind  the  people  to  the  fact  that 
henceforth  the  Courier  was  to  be  in  the  hands  of 
these  enemies.  His  bold,  independent  blow  at  pro- 
tected vice  had  brought  matters  to  an  immediate  crisis. 
He  now  saw  why  Mr.  Graham  had  foisted  on  him 
such  a  fellow  as  New  Rowlands,  making  him  the  city 
reporter.  He  now  understood  the  bitter  malignity  of 
the  scowl  with  which  Mr.  Graham  had  greeted  him 
earlier  in  the  day. 

"You  do  not  care  to  have  an  editor,  then,  whom 
the  people  trust?"  said  Reginald  slowly.  He  turned 
and  looked  at  Mr.  Graham  steadily. 

"We  will  choose  our  own  editor  without  asking  the 
people's  advice,"  snapped  Mr.  Graham. 

"Let  me  tell  you  something,  sir,"  replied  the  other, 
sitting  up  in  his  office  chair  and  speaking  with  a  loud 
voice.  "This  is  the  day  of  the  people  in  Bronson, 
whether  you  like  it  or  not.  If  you  elect  to  put  an 
editor  in  this  chair  in  whom  the  people  have  no  confi- 
dence the  Courier  is  ruined  and  I  will  help  to  ruin  it." 

Reginald  Nelson  felt  his  strength  returning.  He  met 
the  look  of  the  lawyer  fearlessly. 


T  PUNISHMENT  265 

"Let  me  show  you  something,"  responded  Mr. 
Graham,  sneeringly.  He  led  the  way  out  of  the  office 
into  the  printing  room.  Two  or  three  men  were 
already  at  work,  and  one  of  them  was  fixing  one  of  the 
forms  of  the  paper  for  the  next  day. 

"Give  Mr.  Nelson  a  proof  of  that  article  which  I 
wrote,"  ordered  Mr.  Graham. 

The  workman  hastened  to  obey,  the  lawyer  being 
recognized  as  the  owner  of  the  plant.  In  a  few  minutes 
a  dampened  "proof"  was  placed  in  Reginald's  hands. 
"Read  that,"  said  the  lawyer,  snappingly. 

In  astonishment  the  editor  began  to  read  a  bitter 
attack  on  the  veracity  of  his  Independence  Day 
exposure. 

"The  owners  of  the  Courier  regret  exceedingly," 
the  article  declared,  "that  Independence  Day  in  Bron- 
son  was  marred  with  the  publication  of  some  vile 
slanders  against  the  honor  of  our  fair  city.  The 
youthful  editor  to  whom  we  entrusted  the  paper  has 
betrayed  his  trust,  but  he  has  been  summarily  removed 
from  his  place  as  editor,  and  his  past  life  is  now  being 
investigated  as  there  are  some  rumors  of  former 
breaches  of  trust  before  he  came  to  Bronson.  He  owes 
the  Courier  Publishing  Company  a  large  sum  of  money 
and  action  will  be  brought  against  him  at  once  in  our 
courts.  The  public  is  warned  against  him  as  a  dan- 
gerous adventurer." 

When  Reginald  Nelson  had  read  these  words  he 
stopped  and  looked  up  at  the  lawyer  with  blazing 
eyes.  "Are  you  going  to  publish  these  calumnies  in 
the  Courier?"  he  demanded,  fiercely. 


266  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"Yes,  and  a  good  deal  more,  sir.  We'll  drive  you 
out  of  Bronson  in  a  week."  Mr.  Graham  was  grind- 
ing his  teeth  in  a  rage. 

Reginald  Nelson  looked  at  him  for  a  moment 
astounded  and  then  his  own  anger  overwhelmed  him. 
He  seized  the  "form"  in  which  the  offensive  article 
against  himself  was,  and  swept  it  to  the  floor,  scatter- 
ing the  type  in  every  direction.  "If  you  were  a  younger 
man,"  he  shouted  to  Mr.  Graham,  "I  would  sweep  this 
floor  with  you.  Infamous  rascal!" 

Two  burly  policeman  appeared  at  once  on  the  scene, 
and  the  lawyer  cried,  "Take  the  madman  out.  Take 
him  to  jail  for  destruction  of  property.  I  will  file  a 
complaint." 

The  two  policemen  dashed  at  Reginald,  one  seizing 
each  arm.  The  powerful  Englishman  struggled  with 
his  captors.  With  terrific  force  he  threw  one  of  them 
against  the  wall  and  turned  to  attack  the  other,  but 
the  officer  drew  his  baton,  and  as  Reginald  reached  for 
him  he  struck  him  a  crashing  blow  on  the  head.  The 
young  man  fell  senseless  on  the  floor. 

"Take  him  to  jail,  take  him  to  jail,"  shouted  Mr. 
Graham.  The  two  policemen  stood  silent,  gazing  at 
the  prostrate  form  of  their  antagonist.  "He  has  the 
strength  of  an  ox,"  said  the  one  whom  Reginald  had 
flung  against  the  wall,  rubbing  his  shoulder.  "It  is  a 
good  thing  you  hit  him  with  the  billy  or  he  would  have 
downed  us  both." 

The  policeman  telephoned  for  the  police  ambulance 
and  in  a  little  while  Reginald  was  lying  on  a  cot  in  the 
Bronson  jail. 


SWIFT  PUNISHMENT  267 

It  was  an  hour  before  the  injured  ex-editor  revived. 
He  opened  his  eyes  and  gazed  around  him. 

"Where  am  I?"  he  asked  in  amazement. 

"In  jail,"  said  an  attendant,  shortly,  as  he  advanced 
to  the  cot.  He  was  under  the  impression  that  Regi- 
nald was  in  a  drunken  stupor  as  he  did  not  know  who 
the  prisoner  was  nor  why  he  was  brought  to  the  city 
bastille. 

"Jail,"  exclaimed  Reginald.  His  memory  began  to 
return.  He  remembered  his  fight  with  the  policemen 
in  the  printing  room  of  the  Courier. 

"Telephone  to  the  Rev.  Allan  Rutledge  to  come  to 
me  at  once,"  he  requested. 

In  less  than  fifteen  minutes  Allan  Rutledge  was  sit- 
ting on  the  edge  of  the  cot,  speaking  soothingly  to  the 
injured  man. 

"My  God,  what  an  outrage !  And  to  think  that  this 
has  been  done  in  Bronson  on  Independence  Day,"  ex- 
claimed Allan  Rutledge  when  Reginald  had  told  him 
his  story. 

Allan  Rutledge  at  once  went  to  the  office  of  the  jail 
and  arranged  that  Reginald  should  be  immediately 
removed  to  the  Cameron  home.  "I  will  be  responsi- 
ble," said  the  minister. 

When  Reginald  Nelson  staggered  into  the  Cameron 
home,  assisted  by  Allan  Rutledge,  the  good  Scotchman 
and  his  wife  were  greatly  frightened. 

"What's  wrong  with  our  boy?"  asked  Mr.  Came- 
ron, anxiously. 

"Not  very  much,"  replied  Allan.  "He  will  soon  be 
all  right.  Let  us  take  him  upstairs  to  bed  at  once  " 


268  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

All  that  night  the  minister  remained  by  the  bedside 
of  the  ex-editor. 

A  doctor  was  called  and  he  examined  the  wound  on 
his  head  and  shook  his  head  gravely.  Reginald  Nelson 
gradually  sunk  into  a  stupor  and  in  the  morning  his 
condition  was  serious. 

The  next  day  the  issue  of  the  Courier  astounded  the 
people  of  Bronson. 

Mr.  Graham  had  a  signed  article  in  the  paper  de- 
nouncing Reginald  Nelson  and  giving  his  version  of 
the  fight  in  the  printing  room1.  He  characterized  the 
Independence  Day  edition  as  a  mass  of  libel,  and 
promised  the  people  that  the  owners  of  the  paper 
would  be  more  careful  in  their  supervision  of  the  news- 
paper. "The  Courier  has  always  borne  the  reputation 
of  being  a  conservative  and  safe  paper,  and  we  regret 
very  much  that  this  adventurer,  who  wormed  himself 
into  the  confidence  of  so  many  of  our  citizens,  has 
brought  such  a  disgrace  upon  us."  These  were  the 
closing  words  of  Mr.  Graham's  statement.  The  citi- 
zens were  at  once  divided  into  two  camps,  some  assert- 
ing that  they  always  knew  that  Reginald  Nelson  was 
an  irr.p^tor,  and  the  others,  at  first  greatly  in  the 
majority,  protested  that  the  ex-editor  had  been  mis- 
judged. 

In  the  issue  of  the  day  following  notice  was  given 
of  the  suit  against  Reginald  by  the  Courier  Publishing 
Company,  and  dark  hints  were  made  here  and  there 
in  the  paper  in  regard  to  stories  which  had  become 
current  regarding  the  immigrant's  career  in  England. 
It  was  reported  that  he  had  deserted  a  wife  in  the  old 


SWIFT  PUNISHMENT  269 

country,  that  he  was  a  fugitive  from  justice,  and  that 
he  was  an  ex-criminal. 

These  stories  were  also  circulated  on  the  streets  of 
Bronson,  and  the  popular  sentiment  began  to  turn 
against  the  unfortunate  Reginald. 

After  a  week  a  good  deal  of  the  excitement  had 
calmed  down,  and  Ned  Rowlands  was  in  charge  as 
editor,  although  he  was  assisted  daily  by  Mr.  Graham, 
who  spent  a  large  part  of  his  time  in  the  newspaper 
office. 

The  city  administration  made  another  apparently 
successful  effort  to  banish  open  gambling  and  vice,  but 
this  second  display  of  reforming  zeal  was  much  less 
convincing  than  the  first,  and  the  reformers  began  to 
organize  for  a  new  city  ticket  at  the  fall  election. 

During  these  days  Reginald  Nelson  lay  helpless  in 
his  room  at  the  Cameron  home.  The  blow  on  his 
head,  combined  with  the  mental  shock  which  he  had 
received  on  the  evening  of  the  fatal  July  Fourth,  pro- 
duced an  attack  of  brain  fever  which  wasted  the  young 
man  day  by  day.  The  charges  against  him  at  police 
headquarters  had  been  dismissed,  but  his  condition  was 
pitiable.  He  was  altogether  without  money,  having 
failed  to  draw  his  salary  from  the  Courier  treasury 
during  his  term  as  editor,  and  a  judgment  for  the 
amount  of  his  note  to  the  newspaper  company  having 
been  found  against  him.  His  reputation  seemed  lost 
as  every  day  his  enemies  gained  ground,  and  the  stories 
which  had  been  scattered  broadcast  were  now  com- 
monly believed.  Worst  of  all,  his  health  seemed 
permanently  injured. 


2yo  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"I  fear  that  was  a  fatal  blow,"  said  the  doctor, 
about  two  weeks  after  the  encounter  in  which  the 
policeman's  baton  had  crashed  against  Reginald's 
head. 

Dr.  Gracely  and  Allan  Rutledge  were  discussing  the 
case  in  the  front  room  of  the  Cameron  home. 

"What  does  he  need  to  help  him?"  asked  the  minis- 
ter, with  moist  eyes. 

"He  is  discouraged  in  body,  soul  and  spirit,"  replied 
the  doctor.  "If  he  could  be  moved  out  of  Bronson  to 
some  quiet  country  place  for  a  month  or  two  there  is  a 
chance  that  he  might  begin  to  regain  his  faculties." 

"I  know  what  we  will  do,"  responded  Allan  Rut- 
ledge.  "Mr.  Derwent  was  here  yesterday  enquiring 
for  him.  I  was  afraid  to  allow  him  to  see  Reginald, 
but  he  seemed  greatly  interested  in  the  young  man.  I 
happened  to  be  here  when  he  called.  He  mentioned 
that  he  wished  he  was  well  enough  to  go  home  with 
him  to  the  farm." 

"I  know  Derwent's  place  well.  That  would  be  just 
the  place  for  him,"  said  the  doctor,  quickly. 

For  several  days  previous  to  this  no  one  had  been 
allowed  to  see  Reginald  except  Allan  Rutledge  and 
the  doctor,  but  that  morning  Joy  Graham  appeared  at 
the  Cameron  home.  Mrs.  Cameron  greeted  her  sadly, 
telling  how  poorly  the  young  man  was.  "They  have 
just  murdered  the  bairn,"  said  the  Scotchwoman,  be- 
ginning to  cry,  "and  those  awful  lies  they  are  telling 
about  him.  People  are  beginning  to  believe  them." 
Mrs.  Cameron  covered  her  face  and  wept  silently. 

"Let  me  see  him,"  Joy  pleaded. 


SWIFT  PUNISHMENT  271 

'"I  will  ask  the  nurse,"  said  the  woman,  going  up  to 
the  sick  man's  room. 

In  a  few  moments  she  returned  and  led  Joy  upstairs. 
When  the  girl  saw  the  wan  face  of  the  invalid  she  was 
startled  at  the  awful  change  which  two  weeks  had 
wrought.  Reginald's  face  was  the  picture  of  despair. 
It  was  this  gloom  which  had  so  puzzled  and  discouraged 
the  physician. 

As  Joy  Graham  approached  the  bedside  of  the  suf- 
ferer he  opened  his  eyes  and  a  gleam  of  light  shone  in 
them  as  he  recognized  her.  He  put  out  his  hand 
feebly. 

"This  is  kind,"  he  murmured. 

"You  will  get  well,  Mr.  Nelson,  and  you  will  finish 
your  work  in  Bronson  yet.  It  is  only  begun." 

The  light  in  the  sick  man's  eyes  grew  brighter  as 
she  spoke. 

"I  believe  in  you,"  she  whispered,  '"with  all  my  heart 
and  soul." 

That  was  all  she  said,  but  from  that  day  hope  began 
to  spring  up  in  the  heart  of  the  stricken  man.  A  few 
days  later  Allan  Rutledge  spoke  to  Reginald  about 
his  removal  to  the  Derwent  farm. 

"Take  me  out  there,"  he  said,  feebly.  "I  want  to 
get  well.  I  will  fight  my  battle  in  Bronson  to  a  finish 
yet." 

The  minister  was  pleased  to  see  the  rising  spirits  of 
his  friend.  The  day  before  he  was  removed  to  the 
country  Mr.  Townley  called  to  see  him. 

"I  hope  you  don't  think  I  made  a  mistake  in  invit- 


272  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

ing  you  to  Bronson,"  said  Mr.  Townley,  as  they  talked 
together. 

"No,  no,"  Reginald  replied.  "I  have  been  wounded 
in  the  battle,  but  not  killed.  I  shall  arise  and  finish 
my  work." 

"We  had  a  great  meeting  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  last 
Sunday  afternoon,  said  Mr.  Townley,  "and  we  vindi- 
cated you.  The  Courier  has  dug  its  own  grave." 

"The  right  is  bound  to  win,"  said  Reginald,  with  a 
little  smile. 

Not  only  was  the  cause  of  Reginald  advocated  at 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  meeting  to  which  Mr.  Townley  re- 
ferred, but  Allan  Rutledge  gave  a  whole  sermon  to  the 
case,  and  denounced  the  ex-editor's  enemies  as  "sand- 
baggers  and  holdup-men."  When  it  was  learned  at 
the  Derwent  home  that  Reginald  Nelson  was  to  be 
removed  there  the  whole  household  rejoiced,  but  Vivian 
Derwent  was  especially  pleased. 

"We  will  soon  nurse  him  back  to  health,"  said  the 
girl,  cheerfully,  "and  he  will  teach  that  band  of  thugs 
in  Bronson  to  behave  themselves.  I  am  mad  enough 
at  Joy's  father  to  shoot  him." 

Mr.  Derwent  drove  in  with  his  carriage  to  bring  the 
young  man  out  to  his  home,  and  Vivian  accompanied 
him.  The  girl  sat  in  the  back  seat  with  the  young 
ex-editor,  and  she  was  delighted  to  see  his  growing 
cheerfulness  as  he  left  Bronson  behind. 

"I  am  glad  to  get  away  from  Bronson,"  he  admitted 
to  her.  "I  am  going  back,  but  a  sick  soldier  longs  for 
his  home  and  not  for  the  battle  front." 

"That's  very  nice  of  you  to  call  our  place  'home,' ' 


SWIFT  PUNISHMENT  273 

said  Vivian,  roguishly.  "We  want  you  to  make  it  your 
home  just  as  long  as  you  want  to." 

When  they  arrived  at  the  farm  Reginald  was  given 
a  cool,  cheerful  room  on  the  ground  floor,  and  he  be- 
gan to  recuperate  rapidly.  In  a  week's  time  he  was 
able  to  walk  out  into  the  yard,  and  before  two  weeks 
were  over  his  completed  recovery  was  assured. 

"You  are  positive  that  there  has  been  no  permanent 
injury,"  Allan  Rutledge  had  asked  Dr.  Gracely. 

"None  whatever,"  replied  the  physician,  promptly. 
"The  young  man  will  be  ready  for  his  next  round  with 
the  Bronson  'gang'  in  another  week." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

JOY  GRAHAM'S  VISIT. 

One  August  day,  early  in  the  month,  George  Cald- 
well  was  busy  with  his  ledger  in  the  bank  when  he 
heard  a  pleasant  "good-morning"  from  some  one  out- 
side the  railing.  He  glanced  up  and  responded,  "Glad 
to  see  you,  Miss  Joy.  When  did  you  get  back?" 

"Just  this  morning,"  answered  Joy  Graham.  "I 
came  over  on  the  interurban  to  look  after  a  few  mat- 
ters of  business.  We  are  having  a  very  pleasant  out- 
ing at  the  lake."  It  was  the  custom  for  many  of  the 
residents  of  Bronson  to  spend  the  heated  months  in 
cottages  at  some  of  the  beautiful  little  lakes  which  dot 
that  part  of  southern  Michigan.  The  Grahams  had 
a  cottage  which  was  built  by  the  side  of  a  lake  con- 
nected with  Bronson  by  an  interurban  electric  railroad 
so  that  Mr.  Graham  came  back  and  forth  to  his  office 
and  it  was  a  short  trip  for  the  family  to  return 
if  necessary. 

"I  suppose  your  father  and  mother  came  with  you?" 
interrogated  George  Caldwell. 

"No,  I  came  alone.  Papa  is  in  the  East  with 
Roland,  trying  to  find  a  new  editor  for  the  paper.  Ned 
Rowlands  has  proved  a  failure  as  you  know." 

274 


JOY'S  FISIT  TO  DERWENT'S          275 

"It  was  too  bad  your  father  had  a  quarrel  with  Mr. 
Nelson.  He  was  making  the  Courier  boom." 

"How  is  Mr.  Nelson  getting  along?"  asked  the  girl, 
quickly. 

"He  is  almost  well  again,"  responded  the  other, 
heartily.  "The  fresh  air  of  the  country  and  the  hos- 
pitality of  the  Derwent  home  have  worked  wonders 
with  him." 

"And  the  cheerful  companionship  of  such  a  girl  as 
Vivian,"  laughed  Joy  Graham. 

"Vivian  has  been  very  attentive  to  him,"  answered 
George  Caldwell,  with  an  air  of  resignation. 

"She  doesn't  seem  to  pay  much  attention  to  these 
stories  that  have  been  going  the  rounds  all  over  town," 
continued  Joy.  "They  are  discussing  Mr.  Nelson  out 
at  the  lake.  Some  seem  to  think  that  where  there  is 
so  much  smoke  there  must  be  some  fire." 

"Those  foolish  stories  are  made  up  of  whole  cloth," 
responded  the  young  banker,  angrily. 

"But  some  people  believe  them,"  said  the  girl,  shak- 
ing her  head.  "Even  at  the  lake  a  number  think  that 
Mr.  Nelson  is  an  adventurer,  and  I  understand  there 
is  quite  a  sentiment  against  him  in  Bronson." 

"I  am  getting  real  angry  about  the  treatment  Mr. 
Nelson  has  received,"  said  George  Caldwell.  "I 
didn't  like  the  way  he  was  able  to  catch  Vivian's  at- 
tention, but  I  believe  in  fair  play  and  honest  dealing. 
His  enemies  have  thrown  so  much  mud  that  some  of 
it  has  stuck." 

"I  am  glad  to  know  that  you  have  confidence  in 
him,"  said  Joy  Graham,  earnestly. 


276  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"Of  course  we  have  confidence  in  him,"  exclaimed 
the  young  man,  earnestly.  "Just  last  night  a  number 
of  us  had  a  conference  in  regard  to  his  future  and  we 
are  going  to  see  that  he  gets  a  fair  start  in  some  other 
place.  It  would  seem  to  be  unwise  for  him  to  try  to 
establish  himself  again  in  Bronson." 

"Do  all  his  friends  think  he  ought  to  leave  Bron- 
son?" asked  Joy  Graham,  in  a  disappointed  tone. 

"No,  no.  Both  Dr.  Rutledge  and  Mr.  Townley 
think  he  ought  to  remain  here  and  fight  his  battle  out 
to  a  finish." 

"Do  you  know  what  plans  Mr.  Nelson  has  been 
making  for  himself?"  asked  the  girl. 

"No,"  responded  the  other.  "I  saw  him  the  other 
day  and  his  his  only  anxiety  was  for  the  full  recovery  of 
his  health.  That  blow  on  his  head  which  the  policeman 
dealt  him  might  have  been  disastrous,  but  we  are  now 
assured  there  will  be  no  permanent  ill  results." 

"I  want  you  to  take  me  out  to  Derwent's  this  even- 
ing, George,"  said  the  girl,  a  little  later,  as  the  two 
friends  parted. 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so,"  answered  the  other, 
"and  I  knowMr.  Nelson  will  be  delighted  to  see  you." 

"Don't  say  anything  to  anyone  about  it,"  cautioned 
the  girl.  "Drive  up  for  me  at  the  house  about  seven 
o'clock." 

At  the  appointed  hour  that  evening  a  handsome, 
single-seated  Cadillac  motor  car  stopped  before  the 
Graham  home,  and  in  a  few  moments  George  Caldwell 
and  Joy  Graham  were  speeding  out  of  Bronson  into  the 
country.  It  was  a  delightful  August  evening  and  for 


JOY'S  FISIT  TO  DERWENTS          277 

a  good  part  of  the  way  they  passed  through  the  lovely 
wooded  drive  by  the  side  of  the  Bronson  river.  It 
was  not  the  nearest  way  to  the  Derwent  farm,  but  with 
his  high-powered  motor  car  George  Caldwell  decided 
that  the  "longest  way  around  was  the  pleasantest  way 
there." 

As  the  two  friends  whirled  along  they  conversed  on 
topics  of  interest  to  them  both;  the  prosperity  of  the 
Central  Church  under  the  administration  of  Dr.  Rut- 
ledge,  the  progress  of  reform  in  Bronson,  and  the 
future  fortunes  of  Reginald  Nelson. 

It  was  the  latter  topic  that  evidently  was  nearest  the 
heart  of  Joy  Graham  that  evening. 

"What  are  some  of  these  stories  they  are  still  telling 
around  about  Mr.  Nelson?"  asked  Joy. 

"They  say  that  he  abandoned  a  wife  in  England; 
that  he  is  a  fugitive  from  justice,  and  that  his  record 
is  bad." 

"I  heard  that  story  about  a  wife  in  England  long 
ago,"  responded  the  girl,  with  disgust.  "Roland  told 
it  to  me  at  first  and  I  thought  there  might  be  something 
to  it  as  Mr.  Nelson  has  been  so  silent  about  his  life 
in  England,  but  I  persuaded  Mrs.  Rutledge  to  ask  him, 
and  she  says  his  look  of  amazement  at  such  a  charge 
convinced  her  of  the  absolute  falsity  of  the  slander." 

"The  only  excuse  there  is  for  these  stories  is  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Nelson  has  been  so  quiet  about  his  Eng- 
lish life,  as  you  just  said,"  interposed  George  Cald- 
well, thoughtfully.  "He  will  have  to  j^rove  the  falsity 
of  the  idle  tales  by  a  full  statement  of  his  past  life  if 
he  expects  to  continue  as  a  factor  in  Bronson's  life." 


278  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

"That  he  will  be  able  to  do  at  the  right  time,"  re- 
plied Joy  Graham,  with  confidence.  "There  is  one 
thing  sure,  he  is  going  to  remain  in  Bronson,  and  he 
will  be  our  leading  editor." 

"Bravo,"  exclaimed  her  companion.  "I  see  one 
thing  that  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  master  at  achieving.  He 
certainly  knows  how  to  win  the  devotion  of  the  fair 
sex  better  than  we  natives.  Both  you  and  Vivian  are 
so  enthusiastic  in  his  support  that  with  such  backing  he 
cannot  fail." 

The  motor  car  was  rapidly  approaching  the  Der- 
went home.  "I  have  not  been  out  here  since  the  night 
of  our  sleigh-ride  party,"  said  the  girl.  '"What  a  lovely 
time  we  had  that  evening.  Ah,  there's  the  home,"  she 
exclaimed,  as  the  car  shot  round  a  bend  in  the  road. 

On  every  side  the  well-tilled  fields  gave  evidence  of 
the  prosperity  of  the  farmers,  and  an  air  of  peace 
and  contentment  brooded  over  the  countryside.  "This 
was  an  ideal  place  for  Mr.  Nelson  to  come,"  said  Joy 
Graham,  with  enthusiasm,  as  the  motor  car  climbed 
the  little  hill  that  led  into  the  yard  of  the  Derwent 
farm. 

It  was  still  early  in  the  evening,  and  Mr.  Derwent 
was  attending  to  the  usual  evening  chores,  while  Mrs. 
Derwent  and  Vivian  were  busy  in  the  house.  Reginald 
Nelson  was  sitting  alone  on  the  ample  porch  which  ex- 
tended across  the  entire  front  side  of  the  home.  He 
had  been  thinking  to  himself  about  his  future  plans. 

"I  am  almost  well  again,"  he  thought.  "I  must 
plan  for  my  next  move."  His  first  idea  was  that  he 
should  seek  employment  again  at  the  railroad  office, 


279 

but  he  felt  that  it  would  be  too  humiliating  for  him  to 
start  over  again  as  he  had  once  done. 

"If  only  I  were  able  I  would  like  to  start  a  real 
newspaper  of  my  own  in  Bronson.  I  believe  I  could 
win  in  spite  of  McCrea,  Graham,  Gregory,  the 
Courier,  and  the  very  devil  himself,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, confidently. 

At  the  supper  that  evening  Mr.  Derwent  had  com- 
mented on  the  loss  of  patronage  which  the  Courier 
was  sustaining.  "I  came  to  Bronson  at  the  psycho- 
logical moment,"  he  meditated,  "but  I  seem  to  have 
been  outwitted  in  the  first  skirmish,  but  I  will  win  in 
the  end,  so  help  me  God." 

There  was  a  look  of  intenseness  and  determination 
on  his  face  as  he  gave  himself  to  these  reflections.  He 
was  still  pale,  but  the  light  had  come  back  to  his  eyes, 
and  he  was  regaining  his  strength  in  a  remarkable  way. 
He  noticed  the  automobile  speeding  along  the  road, 
and  soon  recognized  it  as  George  CaldwelPs.  A 
moment  more  and  the  car  stopped  in  the  yard  a  few 
feet  from  where  he  sat,  and  Joy  Graham  was  shouting 
to  him: 

"Splendid,  Mr.  Nelson,  splendid.  You  are  a  well 
man  again." 

Vivian  Derwent,  from  the  window,  noticed  the  greet- 
ing between  the  two  friends  and  said  to  herself,  "I 
don't  think  Roland  Gregory  would  like  to  see  Joy's 
smile  as  she  shook  his  hand." 

There  was  indeed  a  deep  sympathy  between  them. 
Joy  Graham  had  found  out  a  good  deal  in  regard  to 
the  scheme  of  the  conspirators  who  were  determined 


280  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

to  ruin  Reginald,  and  her  woman's  heart  was  naturally 
also  aroused  by  the  recent  sufferings  of  the  innocent 
ex-editor.  On  the  other  hand,  Reginald  Nelson  could 
remember  the  moment  that  Joy  Graham  had  whispered 
to  him  as  he  lay  in  his  wretchedness  in  the  Cameron 
home,  "I  believe  in  you."  He  traced  the  beginning 
of  his  swift  recovery  to  these  magic  words. 

In  a  few  moments  Vivian  came  out  and  George 
Caldwell  also  joined  the  company  on  the  porch.  After 
a  little  while,  Joy  Graham  turned  to  George  and  Vivi- 
an, who  were  sitting  together  on  a  settee,  and  said, 
"Won't  you  two  please  excuse  Mr.  Nelson  and  my- 
self. I  want  to  talk  a  little  business  to  him  privately." 

Leaving  them  on  the  porch,  Reginald  and  Joy 
Graham  sauntered  out  into  a  pasture  field,  and  the 
girl  turned  eagerly  to  her  companion,  "I  want  you  to 
forgive  papa,"  she  said,  "for  the  shameful  part  he 
has  had  in  bringing  all  this  trouble  and  sickness  upon 
you.  He  is  not  himself  some  way.  I  cannot  understand 
it  and  mama  is  puzzled.  Ever  since  the  tabernacle 
meetings  he  seems  like  a  different  man." 

"I  bear  him  no  malice,"  said  Reginald,  kindly. 

"I  have  come  to  see  you  this  evening  about  your  fu- 
ture plans,"  continued  the  girl.  "It  may  seem  im- 
proper for  a  young  woman  in  my  place  to  do  this,  but 
I  am  not  doing  it  for  your  sake,  remember.  I  am 
thinking  of  the  honor  of  our  family,  and  also  of  the 
good  of  Bronson.  We  need  just  such  a  paper  in  Bron- 
son  as  you  had  made  the  Courier,  a  newspaper  that 
has  principle  and  which  stands  for  the  welfare  of  the 
community  at  all  times." 


JOY'S  FISIT  TO  DERWENTS  28: 

Reginald  Nelson  listened  with  pleasure.  His  own 
ideal  of  what  a  newspaper  should  be  was  exactly  as 
the  girl  had  expressed  it. 

"I  thank  you,  Miss  Graham,"  he  interposed,  ear- 
nestly. 

"I  want  you  to  originate  and  control  just  such  a  news- 
paper in  Bronson,"  said  the  girl.  "I  have  even  named 
this  new  paper.  It  will  be  called  the  Bronson  Tribune, 
and  the  editor  of  it  will  be  Reginald  Nelson." 

The  ex-editor  looked  in  astonishment  at  the  girl 
by  his  side.  As  he  gazed  at  her  he  felt  a  strange 
pain  come  to  his  soul.  He  was  making  a  contrast  be- 
tween Joy  Graham  as  she  appeared  that  evening  and 
Joy  Graham  as  he  had  first  seen  her  on  board  the 
Neptune  just  a  year  before.  The  year  had  certainly 
changed  her.  Then  her  cheeks  were  rosy,  her  black 
eyes  sparkled  with  care-free  merriment,  her  whole  fig- 
ure was  that  of  a  happy,  joyous  maiden  in  the  first  flush 
of  her  captivating  young  womanhood.  Now  she  ap- 
peared care-worn  and  anxious;  her  face  was  pale;  the 
dark  eyes  were  encircled  by  dark  rings  which  looked 
ominous;  her  whole  figure  was  that  of  a  young  girl  who 
had  been  given  too  heavy  a  load  to  carry  and  who  was 
already  showing  signs  of  weariness. 

"Tell  me  what  you  mean,"  Reginald  responded,  after 
a  brief  pause. 

"I  have  a  little  fortune  which  was  left  to  me  by  my 
mother's  family,"  Joy  Graham  continued.  "This  came 
into  my  entire  control  when  I  was  eighteen  and  I  want 
to  use  a  part  of  it  in  this  enterprise  for  the  good  of 


282  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

Bronson.  I  said  I  believed  in  you.  Now  I  will  prove 
it." 

.  The  girl  stopped  and  opened  a  handbag  which  she 
carried  on  her  left  arm.  She  took  out  a  small  package 
and  handed  it  to  Reginald.  "You  will  find  five  thous- 
and dollars  in  that  package,"  she  said.  "At  the  end 
of  a  month  Mr.  Davis  Parker,  the  lawyer,  will  give 
you  another  package  of  bills  of  equal  amount,  and  in 
still  another  month  you  will  get  five  thousand  more. 
I  want  to  entrust  this  to  you  that  you  may  establish  with 
it  a  real  newspaper  which  will  make  effective  in  our 
social  life  the  teachings  of  Mr.  Sunday  and  Dr.  Rut- 
ledge." 

Reginald  Nelson  was  too  amazed  to  speak  for  a 
moment  and  he  stood  holding  the  package  which  the 
girl  had  given  him,  looking  alternately  from  it  to  his 
companion. 

"Don't  you  understand?"  asked  Joy. 

"I  understand,"  he  answered,  slowly,  "but  I  cannot 
accept  your  kindness  and  confidence,  Miss  Graham.  I 
could  not  think  of  thus  risking  your  inheritance." 

"It  is  a  matter  of  business,  remember,"  said  the  girl, 
with  determination.  "I  have  decided  to  second  the 
attempts  which  are  being  made  to  work  lasting  reforms 
in  our  Bronson  life.  If  you  will  not  carry  out  my 
plans  I  must  look  further." 

"The  newspaper  is  to  belong  to  you,  then."  After 
a  silence  Reginald  spoke  thus  to  the  girl. 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  "but  my  part  in  the  enterprise 
is,  of  course,  to  remain  a  secret  for  the  present.  Mr. 
Davis  Parker  will  act  as  my  trustee,  and  you  will  never 


JOTS  FISIT  TO  DERWENT'S          283 

need  to  consult  with  me  directly  in  regard  to  anything 
connected  with  the  Bronson  Tribune  as  he  will  be  my 
agent." 

Reginald  Nelson  knew  Mr.  Davis  Parker  well.  He 
was  one  of  the  rising  young  lawyers  in  Bronson,  and 
in  company  with  several  other  members  of  the  Bronson 
bar  he  had  "hit  the  sawdust  trail"  during  the  taber- 
nacle meetings.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of 
reform,  and  on  the  fatal  fourth  of  July,  which  had 
brought  disaster  to  Reginald,  he  wel1  remembered  the 
cordial  greetings  given  to  him  in  Bronson  Park  by  the 
young  attorney. 

"Give  me  time  to  think  a  moment,"  he  said,  in  a 
perplexed  way.  They  walked  on  in  silence,  the  dark- 
ness beginning  to  come  down  upon  them. 

"I  think  I  understand  your  proposition,  Miss 
Graham,  and  I  accept  it,  assuring  you  that  I  will  guar- 
antee you  against  any  financial  loss.  I  am  glad  to  say 
that  I  can  make  good  this  guarantee  some  time." 

"No  guarantee  is  necessary,"  replied  the  girl,  stout- 
ly. "I  am  making  a  business  investment,  and  I  will 
take  the  risk  that  every  investment  of  the  kind  in- 
volves." 

"The  enterprise  will  succeed,"  said  Reginald,  his 
enthusiasm  beginning  to  awaken  as  he  saw  his  life-plans 
open  before  him. 

On  their  way  back  to  the  house  Joy  Graham  sug- 
gested to  Reginald  some  things  which  he  should  do  at 
once. 

"You  must,  first  of  all,  pay  off  the  judgment  against 
you  which  the  Courier  holds,  and  about  which  the 


284  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

paper  has  been  complaining  so  much.  Then  you  must 
stop  absolutely  the  printing  of  any  personalities  reflect- 
ing on  your  character  by  the  Courier.  I  talked  about 
this  with  Mr.  Parker  to-day  and  if  you  will  see  him 
he  will  give  you  some  legal  advice  in  the  matter." 

"I  shall  do  as  you  say,"  responded  Reginald,  finally, 
although  at  first  he  refused  to  use  any  of  the  money 
to  pay  for  his  interest  in  the  Courier.  Joy  Graham 
soon  convinced  him  of  the  wisdom  of  her  suggestion. 

"When  do  you  think  you  can  bring  out  the  first  edi- 
tion of  the  Tribune?"  asked  Joy,  as  they  neared  the 
Derwent  home. 

"I  will  return  to  Bronson  to-morrow,"  rejoined 
Reginald,  "and  I  think  I  can  rent  a  building,  get  ma- 
chinery and  workmen  together  so  that  I  can  begin 
publication  within  a  month  or  six  weeks." 

"It  will  be  a  great  joy  to  Dr.  Rutledge.  He  has  been 
much  discouraged  by  the  seeming  triumph  of  your 
enemies,  but  he  has  been  defending  you  and  your  poli- 
cies in  season  and  out  of  season." 

"I  would  like  to  have  just  one  person  in  addition  to 
Mr.  Parker  who  should  know  the  real  owner  of  the 
Tribune,"  said  Reginald.  "Will  you  allow  me  to  speak 
of  it  to  Dr.  Rutledge?" 

"He  knows  all  about  it  already,"  said  Joy.  "I  felt 
that  I  needed  some  friendly  counsel,  so  I  took  both 
Dr.  Rutledge  and  his  wife  into  my  confidence.  You 
will  find  them  your  constant  friends." 

"I  owe  much  to  them  already,"  he  responded. 

They  had  now  reached  the  gate  leading  into  the 
yard,  and  Vivian  Derwent  cried  out,"  Hurry  up,  folks. 


JOY'S  FISIT  TO  DERWENT'S          285 

It  is  getting  late,  and  we  want  you  to  have  some  re- 
freshments before  going  home." 

"Where  have  you  two  been?"  asked  the  farmer's 
daughter  when  they  had  reached  the  porch.  "If  I  see 
any  more  of  this,  Joy,  I  shall  be  compelled  to  speak 
to  Roland." 

"Don't  worry,"  replied  Joy,  with  a  wan  little  smile. 
"Mr.  Nelson  and  I  have  finished  all  the  business  dis- 
cussion we  will  ever  need  to  have  together.  I  came 
to  announce  to  him  that  he  is  to  be  the  editor  of  a  new 
paper  which  will  soon  be  published  in  Bronson." 

"How  fine!"  exclaimed  Vivian.  "I  am  so  glad  Mr. 
Nelson  will  remain  in  Bronson.  He  has  been  threaten- 
ing sometimes  to  shake  the  dust  off  his  feet  and  leave 
Bronson  for  good." 

"I  think  I  am  in  Bronson  to  remain,"  replied  Regi- 
nald. "I  have  more  attention  and  better  care  here 
than  I  could  possibly  expect  anywhere  else.  Don't 
you  think  so,  George?"  he  asked,  familiarly  of  the 
young  man.  George  Caldwell  agreed  heartily,  and  the 
conversation  drifted  to  other  subjects.  The  four  young 
people  entered  the  house,  and  Mrs.  Derwent  served 
ice  cream  and  cake.  Vivian  sat  down  at  the  piano  and 
in  a  little  while  the  gay  young  people  were  singing 
popular  songs  together. 

"I  have  had  a  good  time  to-night,"  said  Joy  Graham, 
as  she  and  George  Caldwell  were  driving  back  to 
Bronson.  "What  a  dear  girl  Vivian  is!  You  will  be 
happy  with  Vivian,  George." 

"I  used  to  think  so,"  responded  the  other,  dolefully, 


286  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"but  since  Mr.  Nelson  has  appeared  Vivian  seems  to 
think  that  I  am  one  too  many." 

"Faint  heart  ne'er  won  fair  lady,  remember," 
answered  Joy,  cheerfully.  "I  rather  think  that  her 
interest  in  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  passing  fancy.  Don't  get 
discouraged." 

"I  had  hoped  that  Vivian  and  I  would  get  married 
about  the  same  time  that  you  and  Roland  were,"  said 
the  other,  hopelessly,  "but  I  think  I  am  not  going  to 
have  Roland's  luck." 

The  mention  of  her  own  coming  marriage  depressed 
the  spirits  of  Joy  Graham,  and  George  Caldwell  won- 
dered at  her  sudden  quietness. 

On  the  following  day,  to  the  surprise  of  friends  and 
enemies  alike,  Reginald  Nelson  appeared  in  Bronson, 
and  commenced  at  once  his  plans  for  the  publication  of 
the  Bronson  Tribune. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  BRONSON  TRIBUNE. 

When  Mr.  Graham  and  Roland  Gregory  returned 
from  their  trip  to  the  East,  where  they  had  engaged  a 
new  editor  at  a  high  salary,  they  were  astounded  to 
hear  of  Reginald  Nelson's  sudden  reappearance  in 
Bronson  and  of  his  contemplated  plans  for  a  rival 
newspaper.  Ned  Rowlands  had  proved  entirely  in- 
competent, and  the  Courier  had  already  lost  much  pres- 
tige. Its  backers  were  assured  that  a  new  editor  would 
soon  restore  it  to  popular  favor,  but  the  information 
as  to  the  establishment  of  the  rival  paper  was  very  dis- 
quieting. 

"It  is  a  bluff,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  in  astonishment, 
when  he  first  heard  the  news.  "The  fellow  will  not 
dare  to  do  that  since  we  have  found  him  out." 

Mr.  Graham  had  written  some  months  before  to  the 
law  firm  which  had  sent  a  letter  of  introduction  on 
behalf  of  the  Englishman.  The  law  firm  was  one  of 
the  most  prominent  in  London  and  Mr.  Graham  asked 
them  in  regard  to  Reginald's  antecedents  in  England. 
The  response  was  very  curt,  merely  stating  that  the 
firm  was  not  at  liberty  to  disclose  the  information  re- 
quested and  adding,  "We  trust  the  young  man  is  doing 
all  right." 

287 


288  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

This  lettter  confirmed  Mr.  Graham  in  his  prejudices 
against  Reginald  and  convinced  him  that  his  past 
record  was  such  as  would  not  bear  the  light.  Ever 
since  the  fateful  Fourth  of  July  the  Courier  had  at 
intervals  made  slighting  remarks  in  regard  to  its  ex- 
editor  and  kept  assuring  the  public  that  the  whole  truth 
would  soon  be  known.  The  exposure  of  the  resorts 
and  the  owners  of  the  illegally-used  property  was  de- 
nounced as  a  slander  on  Bronson's  fair  name,  and 
altogether  the  public  mind  was  in  a  haze. 

Meanwhile,  during  the  hot  term  in  summer,  when 
everything  moves  sleepily  along,  the  city  administra- 
tion made  no  effort  to  redeem  in  any  effective  way  their 
pledges  for  reform. 

If  Mr.  Graham  was  astonished  when  he  first  heard 
of  Reginald  Nelson's  purpose  to  start  a  rival  news- 
paper, he  was  dumfounded  the  next  day  at  som/ething 
still  more  amazing  to  him.  Davis  Parker,  the  young 
lawyer  who  was  the  legal  adviser  of  the  reform 
element,  called  on  him  and  paid  in  full  the  amount  of 
the  judgment  against  Reginald  for  his  shares  of  stock 
in  the  Courier  Publishing  Company. 

"Do  you  want  to  purchase  these  shares  which  Mr. 
Nelson  owns?"  asked  the  young  lawyer  after  he  had 
settled  the  judgment  by  depositing  with  Mr.  Graham 
the  cash  for  the  full  amount. 

"At  what  price  will  he  sell  them?"  asked  Mr. 
Graham,  in  response. 

"He  has  authorized  me  to  sell  them  to  you  at  the 
same  price  he  paid  for  them.  If  you  do  not  buy  them 


THE  BRONSON  TRIBUNE  289 

* 

he  will  advertise  them  for  sale  in  his  own  paper  which 
will  be  issued  in  a  few  weeks." 

"The  shares  are  not  worth  what  he  paid  for  them 
now,"  responded  the  lawyer,  somewhat  off  his  guard. 

"All  right,"  answered  Davis  Parker;  "he  will  ad- 
vertise them  and  get  what  he  can  out  of  them.  He  does 
not  wish  to  have  any  connection  henceforth  with  the 
Courier." 

Before  leaving  Mr.  Graham's  office  Davis  Parker 
gave  the  older  lawyer  a  still  more  severe  shock  by 
remarking,  "You  have  been  publishing  a  number  of 
defamatory  articles  for  over  a  month  in  regard  to  Mr. 
Nelson.  I  am  sure  you  know  you  have  already  laid 
yourself  liable  to  a  suit  for  slander.  However,  Mr. 
Nelson  will  pay  no  attention  to  what  has  already  been 
printed  in  your  newspaper,  but  if  you  mention  him 
again  in  any  such  way  he  has  ordered  me  to  begin  a 
suit  for  damages  immediately.  I  would  advise  the 
Courier  to  omit  all  personalities  hereafter  reflecting  on 
the  name  or  reputation  of  Mr.  Nelson." 

"We  will  see  about  that,"  answered  Mr.  Graham, 
huffily. 

At  a  conference  of  Bud  McCrea's  friends,  which 
was  held  that  evening  in  the  Courier  office,  the  sudden 
turn  of  affairs  was  discussed  by  the  discouraged  con- 
spirators. 

"I  thought  we  had  that fellow,  Nelson,  fixed," 

exclaimed  McCrea,  with  an  oath. 

"Those  preachers,  Rutledge  and  Townley,  are  to 
blame  for  this  unsettled  state  of  affairs,"  asserted 
Roland  Gregory. 


290  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

One  of  the  councilmen  of  the  city  was  present,  and 
he  informed  them  that  a  reform  ticket  had  already 
been  agreed  on  by  the  "Rutledge  crowd,"  as  he  called 
the  reformers. 

"I  heard  about  that,"  said  Roland  Gregory.  "I 
understand  they  have  put  up  Edgar  Prince's  name  for 
mayor,  and  George  Caldwell,  Dr.  Gracely  and  Mr. 
Cameron  have  been  picked  out  for  councilmen.  Think 
of  it?" 

Bud  McCrea  frowned  darkly  as  he  heard  these 
names  spoken  which  he  well  knew  boded  no  good  to  his 
empire  in  Bronson. 

"That  fellow,  Nelson, him,  is  at  the  bottom  of: 

it  all.  He  is  worse  than  the  preachers.  Can't  we 
make  away  with  him?" 

There  was  a  fiendish  scowl  on  the  boss's  face  as  he 
spoke.  It  is  no  child's  play  to  interfere  in  "practical 
politics"  in  some  American  cities,  as  other  reformers 
besides  Reginald  Nelson  have  discovered. 

"You  are  right,  McCrea,"  chimed  in  Roland 
Gregory.  "If  I  got  a  good  chance  I  would  like  to  rid 
our  community  of  that  fellow  myself." 

"No,  no,"  said  Mr.  Grahamj,  frowning.  "We  do 
not  want  to  use  any  illegal  way  in  which  to  defeat 
these  upstart  disturbers  in  Bronson's  politics." 

"Who  is  this  fellow,  Nelson?"  asked  McCrea. 

Mr.  Graham  told  the  history  of  Reginald  as  far  as 
he  knew  it,  speaking  of  the  letter  which  he  had  received 
from  London  a  short  time  before. 

"I  am  convinced  there  is  something  in  his  record  in 
England,  if  we  can  get  hold  of  it,  which  will  enable  us 


THE  BRONSON  TRIBUNE  291 

to  hurl  him  out  of  our  community,"  said  Mr.  Graham, 
earnestly.  "Let  us  keep  quiet  for  a  tew  weeks  and  I! 
will  investigate." 

Beginning  to  feel  the  helplessness  of  a  "boss"  when 
the  people  are  once  aroused,  and  seeing  his  political 
"machine"  losing  its  effectiveness  in  every  way,  McCrea 
was  compelled  to  acquiesce,  although  he  was  eager  for 
immediate  action  of  some  kind,  even  of  the  black-hand 
variety  at  which  he  had  more  than  hinted. 

Altogether  innocent  of  the  further  efforts  which 
were  being  made  to  discredit  and  ruin  him,  Reginald 
Nelson  was  working  like  a  Trojan  getting  his  new  pub- 
lishing plant  in  order.  Fortunately,  a  few  days  before 
the  visit  of  Joy  Graham  to  the  Derwent  farm  the  fore- 
man of  the  Courier  had  resigned,  being  unable  to 
endure  the  insolence  of  Ned  Rowlands.  Reginald 
Nelson  found  him  packing  his  household  goods  and 
getting  ready  to  leave  Bronson  for  Grand  Rapids, 
where  he  had  been  offered  a  minor  position  in  one  of 
the  printing  offices.  It  did  not  take  much  persuasion 
on  Reginald's  part  to  convince  the  ex-foreman  of  the 
Courier  that  it  was  to  his  interest  to  remain  in  Bron- 
son, and  with  the  competent  assistance  of  this  lieutenant 
Reginald  was  soon  able  to  gather  together  a  force  of 
employees  and  to  rush  to  completion  all  the  prepara- 
tions necessary  for  the  publication  of  the  Bronson 
Tribune.  Machinery  was  shipped  from  Chicago,  sup- 
plies were  ordered  and  workmen  were  busy  day  by  day 
in  fitting  up  the  plant. 

"Where  did  the  fellow  get  his  money?"  asked  Ro- 


292  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

land  Gregory  of  his  prospective  father-in-law  one  day 
as  the  two  men  were  talking  in  the  Graham  home. 

Joy  Graham  was  sitting  in  the  room  at  the  time,  and 
she  listened  attentively  to  the  conversation  of  her 
future  husband  and  her  father. 

"I  am  unable  to  find  out  who  is  backing  him  finan- 
cially, but  I  expect  it  is  Edgar  Prince.  Prince  will  be 
supported  for  mayor  by  this  new  sheet  and  he  well 
knows  that  the  Courier  will  most  bitterly  oppose  his 
election." 

"It  is  strange  to  me,"  responded  Gregory,  moodily, 
"how  that  fellow  has  worked  his  way  into  the  con- 
fidence of  the  Bronson  people,  or  at  least  some  of 
them." 

As  he  spoke  these  words  Roland  Gregory  turned  to 
Joy  Graham  and  noticed  a  flush  mantle  to  the  cheek  of 
the  girl. 

"Even  Joy,"  he  continued,  in  an  irritated  tone, 
"thinks  him  worthy  of  notice,  and  she  persisted  in 
speaking  to  him  on  the  street  today  although  I  asked 
her  to  ignore  him." 

"Mr.  Nelson  is  one  of  the  members  of  our  church," 
responded  Joy  Graham,  in  a  low  tone,  "and  it  would 
not  look  well  for  members  of  the  same  church  to  slight 
and  ignore  each  other." 

"Bosh!"  exclaimed  her  father,  with  indignation. 
"This  whole  church  business  is  a  fraud.  I  am  alto- 
gether disgusted  with  this  man  Rutledge.  I  consider 
that  he  has  helped  to  mix  everything  up  in  a  hopeless 


THE  BRONSON  TRIBUNE  293 

mess  since  he  came,  especially  since  those  Sunday  taber- 
nacle meetings. 

"I  think  Bronson  is  arousing  itself  to  be  worthy  of 
its  high  place  in  Southern  Michigan,"  answered  the 
girl,  bravely.  "The  reforms  which  Edgar  Prince  and 
his  friends  are  fighting  for  mean  the  redemption  of  our 
city  from  social  paganism." 

"Hush,  daughter,"  responded  Mr.  Graham,  im- 
patiently, while  Roland  Gregory  gazed  at  her  in  a  sur- 
prised manner. 

"I  hope  you  do  not  think  of  becoming  a  suffra- 
gette," exclaimed  Roland  Gregory,  somewhat  nettled. 

Joy  Graham  smiled  and  answered,  "Worse  things 
than  woman  suffrage  might  happen  to  Michigan." 

"If  you  want  to  enter  politics,  Joy,"  said  Roland, 
laughingly,  "you  will  have  an  opportunity  this  fall. 
Your  father  is  to  run  for  mayor  against  Edgar  Prince." 

"Is  that  so,  father?"  asked  Joy  Graham1,  with  a 
pained  look. 

"The  honor  has  been  offered  me  by  some  of  our 
leading  citizens  of  heading  the  fight  for  a  sane  ad- 
ministration in  Bronson,"  answered  Mr.  Graham,  "and 
I  feel  it  is  my  duty  as  a  good  citizen  to  accept  the 
honor." 

Joy  Graham  was  silent  as  she  knew  further  talk  was 
useless,  but  she  was  greatly  distressed  to  know  that  the 
lawless  and  "wide-open"  element  in  Bronson  had  pre- 
vailed on  her  father  to  accept  their  nomination  for  the 
office  of  mayor.  She  knew  that  it  meant  a  bitter  fight 
against  him  by  the  Bronson  Tribune,  and  she  began  to 


294  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

feel  somewhat  uncomfortable  over  her  secret  connec- 
tion with  that  paper.  She  felt  that  her  life  had  sud- 
denly grown  difficult,  almost  impossible. 

The  news  that  Mr.  Graham,  of  the  law  firm  of 
Millman  and  Graham,  had  accepted  the  nomination  for 
mayor  from  the  hands  of  McCrea  and  his  friends 
brought  much  joy  to  Bronson's  underworld  as  well  as 
to  many  others  in  Bronson  who  looked  askance  at  the 
efforts  of  Edgar  Prince  to  reform  the  social  life  of  the 
community. 

The  two  sides  who  were  seeking  the  control  of 
Bronson  were  now  lined  up. 

The  Edgar  Prince  faction  suffered  the  disadvantage 
of  being  without  a  newspaper,  while  the  Courier  in 
every  possible  way  hurled  abuse  and  scorn  at  the 
"visionaries"  who  had  forgotten  that  Bronson  was  a 
"metropolitan  city"  and  who  wished  to  ruin  it  com- 
mercially by  unwise  limitation  of  individual  liberty. 

"When  can  you  issue  the  first  number  of  the  Tri- 
bune" asked  Edgar  Prince,  anxiously,  one  day  as  he 
stopped  at  the  Tribune  plant  where  Reginald  was 
hurrying  things  along  as  fast  as  he  could.  It  was  about 
the  middle  of  September,  and  the  political  campaign 
was  getting  into  full  swing. 

"I  am  planning  to  bring  out  the  first  number  on 
October  first,"  answered  Reginald,  promptly.  "That 
will  give  us  over  a  month  in  which  to  enlighten  the 
people  of  Bronson  in  regard  to  some  things  which 
ought  to  be  known,  and  I  have  no  fears  about  the 
result." 


THE  BRONSON  TRIBUNE  295 

"The  new  editor  of  the  Courier  is  an  able  fellow," 
responded  Mr.  Prince,  "and  I  can  see  that  he  is  in- 
fluencing some  of  our  business  men  to  favor  the  wide- 
open  policy.  I  am  anxious  to  have  your  assistance  as 
soon  as  possible." 

"Come  into  our  press  room,  and  see  the  new 
machinery  which  we  are  installing,"  said  Reginald, 
and  he  ushered  Edgar  Prince  into  his  plant.  Edgar 
Prince  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  completeness  with 
which  the  young  editor  was  fitting  up  his  plant,  and 
asked  him  if  he  needed  any  money. 

"I  have  been  thinking,"  said  Reginald  slowly,  "that 
it  would  be  an  advantage  if  we  could  erect  our  own 
building  for  the  Tribune  and  plan  to  enter  it  next 
spring.  If  we  could  begin  the  erection  at  once  it  would 
give  the  paper  a  better  standing  in  the  community  from 
the  beginning  and  would  materially  help  us."  Edgar 
Prince  looked  closely  at  the  other. 

"I  mean,"  continued  Reginald,  "that  if  I  could  get 
some  of  the  business  men  in  Bronson,  who  are  in- 
terested in  our  reforms,  to  take  stock  in  the  Tribune  I 
believe  I  could  make  the  newspaper  a  power  not  only 
in  Bronson,  but  all  over  southern  Michigan." 

After  a  further  conference,  Edgar  Prince  promised 
to  talk  the  matter  over  with  some  of  his  friends,  and 
the  result  was  that  a  large  Tribune  Publishing  Com- 
pany was  organized,  and  preparations  were  made  to 
erect  a  commodious  brick  building  which  would  be  the 
permanent  home  of  the  newspaper. 

A  week  before  the  publication  of  the  much  expected 
first  issue  of  the  Tribune  Reginald  Nelson  distributed 


296  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

circulars  over  Bronson  announcing  the  advent  of  the 
new  organ  of  reform.  The  circulars  were  headed,  in 
leaded  type,  "The  Bronson  Tribune,  The  People's 
Paper." 

This  circular  described  briefly  the  policies  which 
would  be  advocated  by  the  Tribune,  and  promised  some 
interesting  details  in  regard  to  the  exposure  made  in 
the  Independence  Day  edition  of  the  Courier.  "The 
Tribune  will  be  a  newspaper  without  a  muzzle,"  said 
the  circular  in  conclusion.  "It  will  fight  any  and  every 
proposition  which  it  believes  to  be  to  the  detriment  of 
the  people  of  Bronson,  regardless  of  consequences.  The 
editor  is  not  seeking  a  political  office  as  his  reward,  but 
seeks  first  the  approval  of  his  own  conscience  and  the 
approbation  of  our  best  citizens." 

The  city  of  Bronson  was  seething  with  excitement  on 
the  eventful  first  of  October.  The  Tribune  came  out 
in  the  morning  and  by  nine  o'clock  every  copy  of  the 
large  edition  had  been  sold.  Neighboring  towns,  such 
as  Augsley,  which  took  an  interest  in  the  battle  which 
was  being  waged  in  Bronson,  ordered  the  papers  by 
the  score. 

That  morning  Allan  Rutledge  and  his  wife  sat  in  the 
study  reading  the  first  issue  of  the  paper  with  absorbing 
interest. 

"He  is  a  born  editor,"  said  Allan  Rutledge  to  his 
wife,  after  he  had  glanced  over  the  make-up  of  the  new 
paper.  "See  how  complete  these  Associated  Press  dis- 
patches are,"  he  said,  holding  up  the  first  page.  "Just 
as  a  newspaper,  independent  of  its  principle,  the  Tri- 
bune has  outclassed  the  Courier  already." 


THE  BRONSON  TRIBUNE  297 

Turning  to  the  editorial  columns,  the  minister  noted 
with  pleasure  that  a  text  from  the  Bible  headed  this 
part  of  the  paper.  It  was  a  quotation  from  Genesis, 
the  first  chapter:  "Let  there  be  light."  The  leading 
editorial  was  in  harmony  with  this  ancient  declaration 
of  Holy  Writ,  and  declared  the  editor's  purpose  to 
turn  the  light  on  the  life  of  Bronson.  "This  paper 
will  reflect  the  life  of  this  community,"  said  the  edi- 
torial. "If  there  are  things  being  done  in  Bronson 
which  are  commendable  the  Tribune  will  print  them 
with  pleasure.  If  dark  deeds  are  being  committed  in 
our  city,  either  in  our  factories  or  in  our  city  hall,  they 
shall  be  mercilessly  exposed,  for  this  paper  will  be  as 
cruel  as  the  truth." 

"There  is  some  force  to  that  editorial,"  remarked 
Allan  Rutledge,  "after  he  had  finished  reading  it  aloud. 

"It  sounds  like  Reginald,  doesn't  it?"  said  Mrs.  Rut- 
ledge.  "I  think  he  is  a  remarkable  young  man.'" 

"Ah,  here  is  an  announcement  in  the  "Society 
Column"  of  the  wedding  of  Roland  Gregory  and  Joy 
Graham.  It  is  to  be  on  October  twentieth." 

Allan  Rutledge  said  these  words  in  an  anxious  tone. 

"Poor  Joy,"  said  Mrs.  Rutledge,  sadly.  "I  was 
talking  with  her  yesterday  and  she  looked  so  wan  and 
sad.  I  believe  this  coming  wedding  is  breaking  her 
heart.  She  thinks  she  is  pledged  to  Mr.  Gregory  and 
she  believes  she  can  reform  him  if  she  marries  him." 

"I  wish  you  would  see  her,"  said  the  minister,  "and 
find  out  what  her  feelings  really  are.  If  she  does  not 
love  Roland  Gregory  her  marriage  will  be  a  mockery 


29 8  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

and  I  would  rather  officiate  at  her  funeral  than  at  her 
wedding  in  such  a  case." 

"I  will  see  her,"  said  the  other,  promptly,  "but  I 
fear  it  is  too  late  to  prevail  on  her  to  change  her  mind." 

Allan  Rutledge  turned  his  attention  again  to  the 
newspaper.  "Here  are  some  of  the  indictments  of  our 
present  administration,"  he  said,  excitedly.  "Let  me 
read  you  this  paragraph." 

Amongst  the  things  for  which  the  Tribune  indicted 
the  administration  of  Bronson  was  indifference  to  the 
Mae  Mobray  tragedy.  "The  affair  was  hushed  up  as 
soon  as  possible,"  said  the  Tribune,  "instead  of  the 
full  investigation  of  every  circumstance  connected  with 
the  tragedy  which  ought  to  have  followed  such  a 
crime." 

"That  makes  me  think,"  said  Mrs.  Rutledge.  "I 
saw  Mrs.  Mobray  yesterday  morning,  and  she  asked 
me  about  that  ring  which  she  gave  me  a  long  time  ago." 

"What  ring?"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  laying  aside  the 
newspaper. 

"The  ring  which  Mrs.  Mobray  found  on  the  finger 
of  Mae  after  her  death.  You  remember  I  gave  it  to 
you." 

"Oh !"  exclaimed  the  minister.  "I  remember.  I  had 
forgotten  in  some  way  altogether  about  it.  I  put  it  in 
my  desk  in  this  little  drawer  which  I  hardly  ever  open. 
So  much  has  happened  in  Bronson  lately  that  the 
matter  slipped  my  mind  entirely." 

He  opened  the  drawer  and  took  out  the  gold  band 
which  he  had  laid  there  the  evening  previous  to  the 
midnight  tour  of  Bronson. 


THE  BRONSON  TRIBUNE  299 

"I  shall  attend  to  this  at  once,"  he  said,  taking  the 
ring  and  laying  it  on  his  desk. 

That  morning  he  sent  a  letter  to  a  jewelry  firm  in 
Chicago,  enclosing  the  ring  and  asking  them  to  trace,  if 
possible,  the  buyer. 

In  two  weeks  he  received  a  letter,  returning  the 
ring,  and  giving  as  the  name  of  the  buyer  a  prominent 
citizen  in  Bronson. 

Allan  Rutledge  read  the  name  and  gasped,  "Can  it 
be  possible?" 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

ALLAN  RUTLEDGE'S  SECRET. 

"I  wonder  what  Roland  will  think  of  the  Tribune's 
attack  on  his  factory,"  said  Mr.  Derwent,  referring  to 
a  report  of  conditions  in  the  Gregory  factory  which  had 
been  published  in  Reginald's  newspaper  of  the  previous 
day. 

"I  believe  there  is  a  lot  of  truth  in  what  those  girls 
claim,"  said  Mrs.  Derwent,  vigorously.  "It  seems  that 
employers  care  nothing  for  decency  any  more.  All  they 
want  is  to  have  cheap  labor  and  the  certainty  of  big 
dividends." 

Not  only  at  the  Derwent  home,  but  all  over  Bronson 
and  vicinity  the  startling  report  of  conditions  in  the 
Gregory  factory  was  the  topic  of  conversation  that 
day. 

Remembering  the  insults  of  Roland  Gregory,  feel- 
ing angry  at  him  on  account  of  his  approaching  wed- 
ding to  Joy  Graham,  assured  that  some  of  the  charges 
which  the  striking  employees  of  his  factory  had  made 
a  year  before  were  true,  Reginald  Nelson  quietly 
planned  to  write  up  the  inside  conditions  and  regula- 
tions of  the  Gregory  factory  as  the  first  article  in  a 
series  which  he  intended  to  publish  in  regard  to  Bron- 
son's  industrial  plants.  The  investigations  were  made 

300 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE'S  SECRET        301 

by  a  woman  writer,  who  disguised  herself  as  a  poor 
girl,  and  applied  for  work  at  the  factory  office.  For  a 
whole  week  she  worked  with  the  girls ;  she  heard  their 
conversation;  found  out  in  regard  to  the  average 
weekly  wage;  noticed  carefully  all  the  details  of  the 
factory  work,  and  investigated  the  charges  which  had 
been  made  by  the  leaders  of  the  strike. 

When  Roland  Gregory  read  the  article  as  it  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Tribune  he  was  furious.  He  went  at  once 
to  Mr.  Graham's  office  to  see  what  the  law  could  do 
in  such  a  case,  but  Mr.  Graham  was  sceptical  about  the 
value  of  legal  measures. 

"Unless  you  can  prove  that  his  statements  are  false 
and  slanderous,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  shaking  his  head, 
"it  will  only  make  bad  matters  worse  for  you  to  take 
the  fellow  into  court." 

"But  it  is  an  outrageous  invasion  of  my  personal 
rights.  That  woman  spy  had  no  right  to  enter  my  fac- 
tory," exclaimed  young  Gregory. 

"It  seems  private  rights  are  being  invaded  on  every 
hand,"  said  the  lawyer.  "Our  country  will  sink  into 
anarchy  unless  some  stringent  repressive  legislation 
is  enacted  curbing  the  power  of  the  press,  but  until 
that  time  you  have  no  legal  redress  from  these  insults 
of  the  Tribune." 

"I  will  see  that  fellow  again  myself,"  declared 
Roland  Gregory.  "If  the  law  does  not  help  me  I  may 
be  able  to  help  myself." 

"It  will  do  no  good,"  replied  the  other,  despond- 
ently. 


302  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

Roland  Gregory  had  been  drinking  somewhat  that 
day,  and  he  left  the  office  of  Mr.  Graham  in  no 
pleasant  mood.  After  visiting  his  club,  where  he  for- 
tified himself  with  a  few  more  glasses,  he  wended  his 
way  to  the  Tribune  office.  Reginald  saw  him  enter 
the  door  and  knew  at  once  what  was  the  cause  of  his 
visit. 

"Good-morning,  Mr.  Gregory,"  said  the  editor, 
pleasantly.  "This  is  an  unexpected  pleasure  to  have 
you  call  on  us.  I  hope  you  like  Bronson's  new 
paper." 

"To  h with  your  paper,"  replied  the  other, 

fiercely,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  office  and  glaring 
at  Reginald. 

"Sit  down,  Mr.  Gregory,"  responded  the  editor, 
speaking^  in  a  pleasant  tone  of  voice,  although  his  eyes 
sparkled.  "What  can  I  do  for  you  today?" 

"What  do  you  mean  by  sending  a  spy  to  my  factory 
to  sneak  around  and  find  out  about  my  private  affairs?" 
Roland  Gregory  spoke  in  evident  anger. 

"The  business  of  your  factory,"  replied  the  editor, 
looking  the  other  straight  in  the  face,  "is  not  a  private 
affair  of  your  own.  An  institution  which  employs  so 
many  mothers  and  daughters  is  an  institution  of  public 
interest  and  the  public  have  a  right  to  know  the  facts 
which  have  been  published  in  regard  to  your  factory." 

"The  public  has  nothing  to  do  with  my  factory. 

D the  public.  I  want  to  tell  you  that  this  thing 

has  got  to  stop." 

The  excited  spirit  of  the  young  manufacturer  was 
arousing  him  to  fury  and  his  anger  was  increasing  the 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE'S  SECRET        303 

effect  of  the  intoxicating  liquor  which  he  had  been 
drinking.  He  lifted  his  hand  and  walked  threateningly 
towards  the  editor. 

"If  I  have  overstepped  my  rights  as  an  editor  the 
law  courts  are  open,"  declared  Reginald,  firmly. 

"I'll  soon  have  you  in  court,"  shouted  the  other, 
attempting  to  strike  the  editor  in  the  face.  Reginald 
saw  that  his  visitor  was  partially  intoxicated  and  that 
he  had  lost  all  self-control.  He  warded  off  the  blow 
which  Roland  Gregory  aimed  at  him,  slipped  out  of  his 
seat,  and  seized  his  opponent  by  the  coat  collar. 

Shaking  him  roughly  the  editor  marched  the  helpless 
manufacturer  before  him  out  of  his  private  office, 
through  the  main  entrance,  and  gave  him  a  push  into 
the  street.  "Begone,"  said  Reginald  Nelson  between 
his  teeth,  as  he  closed  and  locked  the  door. 

Muttering  vengeance,  the  ousted  manufacturer 
walked  unsteadily  down  the  street.  Reginald  Nelson 
returned  to  his  desk  and  sat  in  silent  thought  for  a  few 
moments.  "To  think,"  he  said  to  himself,  "that  Joy 
Graham  is  to  be  chained  to  that  fellow  for  life.  It  is 
an  outrage.  I  must  see  her  and  plead  with  her  to 
bethink  herself  before  she  yields  to  such  a  fate." 

"Alas,  why  should  I  see  her?"  he  continued  despond- 
ingly.  "She  surely  knows  his  character  and  his  habits, 
yet  I  will  certainly  urge  Mrs.  Rutledge  to  use  her  best 
efforts  to  save  the  unfortunate  girl." 

Still  deep  in  thought,  Reginald  was  pondering 
whether  he  should  say  anything  in  his  paper  of 
Gregory's  visit  to  his  office.  He  wished  for  Joy's  sake 
to  make  no  mention  of  the  incident  unless  Gregory  pro- 


304  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

voked  him  further,  but  he  felt  that  Gregory's  words 
and  actions  were  such  that  the  public  ought  to  know 
them.  His  theories  about  publicity  were  radical  and  he 
had  a  conscientious  abhorrence  of  covering  up  any- 
thing which  was  rightfully  a  matter  for  public  knowl- 
edge. 

As  he  sat  pondering  over  the  question  some  one 
knocked  loudly  at  the  closed  door.  Allan  Rutledge  was 
standing  outside,  impatiently  seeking  admittance. 

Reginald  hurried  to  the  door  and  opened  it.  "Come 
in,  Dr.  Rutledge,"  he  exclaimed;  "what's  wrong  now?" 

"Let  us  go  into  your  office,"  said  the  minister  in  an 
excited  voice. 

The  editor  led  the  way  into  his  private  office  and 
closed  the  door.  The  minister  sat  down  and  breathed 
hard.  There  was  a  silence  for  a  few  moments  and 
then  Allan  Rutledge  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  letter. 

"I  have  had  some  startling  news  this  morning,"  he 
began,  looking  earnestly  at  the  editor  and  speaking  in  a 
low  tone  of  voice. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Reginald,  anxiously. 

"Let  me  explain  to  you,  first  of  all,  what  this  letter 
refers  to  before  you  read  it." 

The  minister  then  told  the  story  of  Mrs.  Rutledge's 
interview  with  the  mother  of  the  hapless  Mae  Mobray, 
and  the  facts  about  the  ring. 

"You  remember  that  night  that  you  called  on  me  to 
ask  my  co-operation  in  making  a  midnight  tour  of 
Bronson?  That  was  the  night  that  Mrs.  Rutledge  gave 
me  the  ring.  The  exciting  incidents  of  that  night  and 
the  ferment  that  followed  our  investigations  drove  the 


ALLAN  RUTLEDGE'S  SECRET        305 

matter  out  of  my  mind  until  the  other  day.  I  sent  the 
ring  to  Chicago.  It  has  been  identified  and  the  pur- 
chaser has  been  discovered  by  a  reference  to  the  books 
of  the  jewelry  firm." 

"Who  bought  the  ring?"  asked  the  editor,  eagerly. 

For  answer  the  minister  handed  the  letter  which  he 
had  been  holding  in  his  hand  to  Reginald  Nelson,  and 
the  editor  read  it  with  staring  eyes. 

"I  had  a  suspicion  flash  over  my  mind  more  than 
once  that  this  was  the  real  state  of  the  case.  My  God, 
isn't  it  awful?  Not  for  his  sake,  but  for  her  sake." 

"What  ought  we  to  do?  We  must  do  something 
and  do  it  immediately."  Allan  Rutledge  asked  the 
question  with  tense  emotion. 

Before  the  editor  could  answer  there  was  a  knock  at 
the  door  of  the  private  office.  Reginald  arose  and  on 
opening  the  door  a  telegram  was  handed  to  him.  "Why 
didn't  you  'phone  it?"  asked  Reginald,  as  he  signed  the 
messenger  boy's  receipt  book  for  the  message. 

"The  operator  said  it  was  not  a  message  he  cared  to 
'phone.  It  just  came  over  the  wires  a  few  minutes 
ago." 

The  boy  left  and  Reginald  sat  down  and  tore  the 
envelope  open.  "Beachville,"  he  read,  and  then  he 
exclaimed,  "It's  a  cablegram." 

In  silence  he  perused  the  message  which  had  been 
flashed  with  the  speed  of  light  across  the  Atlantic  ocean 
and  overland  from  New  York  to  Bronson. 

The  room  was  still  and  Allan  Rutledge  sat  looking 
earnestly  at  his  companion.  The  face  of  the  young 
editor  became  pale  as  death  when  he  had  finished  read- 


306  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

ing  the  despatch.  The  muscles  of  his  mouth  twitched; 
tears  came  to  his  eyes,  and  he  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands.  The  paper  which  had  brought  its  desolating 
news  to  the  young  editor  slipped  from  his  grasp  and 
fluttered  on  the  floor. 

Wondering  what  the  message  might  be  the  minister 
picked  it  up  hastily  and  read:  "Beachville,  England, 
October  13.  Father  died  suddenly  this  morning.  Come 
home  at  once." 

No  signature  was  signed,  but  Allan  Rutledge  at  once 
understood.  He  arose  and  put  his  arms  around  the 
weeping  man.  "I  sympathize  with  you,  my  brother," 
he  said,  tenderly. 

The  whole  frame  of  the  other  shook  with  his  intense 
emotion  and  he  made  no  response.  "Tell  me  about  your 
father,"  said  the  minister,  after  a  few  moments,  unable 
to  understand  the  reason  for  the  deep  agony  of  suffer- 
ing which  the  death  message  had  caused. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

REGINALD'S  RETURN 

A  little  later  Mr.  Cameron  told  Reginald  the  story 
of  the  happenings  in  Bronson  during  the  eventful 
weeks  that  he  was  in  England. 

"Mr.  Marchmount  came  back  from  his  trip  to  Eu- 
rope just  a  day  or  two  after  you  left,"  said  Mr.  Came- 
ron, "and  when  he  found  out  the  way  things  had  been 
going  since  you  left  he  took  your  place  in  the  Tribune 
office,  and  he  carried  on  a  fight,  I  can  tell  you.  He 
accused  Mr.  Graham  of  all  kinds  of  roguery,  and  at 
the  election  last  week  Mr.  Prince  was  elected  with  a 
majority  of  almost  two  to  one.  Bronson  is  a  new 
city." 

"How  about  the  saloons?"  asked  Reginald,  quickly. 

"They're  gone,  too,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Cameron.  "It 
was  a  clean  sweep.  Man,  I  tell  you  since  Dr.  Rutledge 
came  to  Bronson  there  has  been  a  big  change  in 
things." 

"Has  the  wedding  come  off?"  asked  Reginald,  a 
little  later. 

"What  wedding?" 

"The  wedding  of  Joy  Graham  and  Roland  Gre- 
gory." 

"No,"  replied  Mr.  Cameron,  in  a  perplexed  tone. 

307 


3o8  THE  VISION  OF  JOY 

"We  don't  know  what  to  think  of  that.  It  was  post- 
poned for  a  month,  and  I  hear  Joy  Graham  is  sick. 
She  has  not  been  out  to  church  for  several  Sabbaths." 

This  news  disquieted  Reginald  so  much  that  he 
decided  he  would  have  to  walk  over  to  the  home  of 
Allan  Rutledge  in  spite  of  the  late  hour  and  find  out 
from  the  minister  some  more  news  in  regard  to  Joy 
Graham. 

"Come  in,  come  in,  my  friend,"  exclaimed  Allan  Rut- 
ledge,  as  he  ushered  Reginald  Nelson  into  his  study. 
"I  have  been  looking  for  you  every  day.  Have  you 
heard  he  news?" 

"Some  of  it,"  responded  Reginald.  "I  hear  that 
Bronson's  new  day  has  begun  to  dawn." 

"It  surely  has,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  heartily.  "The 
saloons  have  been  voted  out  to  the  amazement  of  the 
liquor  people.  Edgar  Prince  is  to  be  our  next  mayor. 
George  Caldwell,  Dr.  Gracely  and  Davis  Parker  are 
amongst  the  new  councilmen.  I  understand  that  already 
there  has  been  a  flight  of  the  evil  birds  of  prey  which 
have  been  feasting  on  the  souls  of  young  men  and 
women  in  Bronson  for  a  good  while." 

"How  is  Joy  Graham?"  asked  Reginald,  abruptly. 

The  minister"s  face  clouded.  "Did  you  get  my  tele- 
gram which  I  sent  in  care  of  the  Neptune?" 

"Yes." 

"I  spoke  of  further  developments,  you  remember. 
Mrs.  Rutledge  found  out  that  Joy  desires  to  break  the 
engagement,  but  her  father  is  determined  that  she 
shall  marry  Gregory." 


REGINALD'S  RETURN  309 

"We  shall  soon  free  the  girl,'"  responded  Reginald, 
with  flashing  eyes. 

"I  have  done  absolutely  nothing  further  about  the 
letter,"  said  Allan  Rutledge,  "as  I  desired  to  await 
your  return.  How  had  we  best  proceed?" 

"I  will  meet  the  fellow  myself  tomorrow  and  get  a 
confession  out  of  him,"  said  Reginald,  slowly.  "I  am 
eager  first  of  all  to  free  Joy  Graham.  From  what  I 
hear  the  anxiety  of  her  mind  is  breaking  her  down.  I 
fear  it  may  be  another  such  case  as  that  of  Anne  Rut- 
ledge  unless  there  is  immediate  relief." 

Allan  Rutledge  turned  over  the  letter  which  he  had 
receivd  from  the  jewelry  firm  in  Chicago  to  Reginald, 
giving  him  the  ring  also.  In  their  letter  the  jewellers 
stated  that  Roland  Gregory  had  purchased  the  ring. 
"It  is  a  clear  case,"  said  Allan  Rutledge.  "I  have  no 
doubt  that  Gregory  was  the  real  cause  of  Mae  Mo- 
bray's  death.  I  sometimes  wonder  at  God's  patience 
when  I  see  such  deviltry  amongst  men." 

"The  mills  of  the  gods  grind  slowly,  but  they  grind 
exceeding  small,"  replied  Reginald,  earnestly. 

The  next  morning  Reginald  Nelson  appeared  at 
the  Tribune  office,  and  resumed  his  work  as  editor. 
Shortly  before  the  noon  hour  he  telephoned  to  Roland 
Gregory  that  he  would  like  to  see  him  alone  in  his 
office  at  noon,  and  the  young  manufacturer,  greatly  sur- 
prised, promised  to  await  the  coming  of  the  editor. 

Reginald  Nelson  and  Roland  Gregory  faced  each 
other  in  the  latter's  office  at  the  noon  hour  on  the  day 
following  Reginald's  return  from  England.  The  two 
young  men  were  both  representatives  of  the  powerful 


3io  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

classes;  one,  the  democratized  son  of  ancient  nobility; 
the  other,  the  aristocratic  scion  of  plebeian  democracy 
grown  wealthy  in  a  generation.  Strength,  firmness, 
self-control  marked  the  features  of  the  champion  of 
democracy;  weakness,  self-love  and  arrogance  were 
pictured  on  the  other's  countenance. 

"What  do  you  want,  sir?"  asked  Roland  Gregory, 
with  a  frown,  when  Reginald  had  entered  the  office  and 
stood  facing  him. 

"I  want  to  see  you  privately  for  a  few  moments," 
replied  Reginald,  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  manufacturer. 

"We  are  alone,"  said  the  other.  "The  office  is 
empty.  What  do  you  want?" 

"Have  you  ever  seen  that  ring  before?"  Reginald 
handed  the  ring,  which  Allan  Rutledge  had  given  him, 
to  Joy  Graham's  fiance  as  he  spoke. 

Roland  Gregory  started  as  he  saw  the  ring  and 
hesitated  before  taking  it  from  the  other's  hand. 

"Take  it  and  look  it  over.  Did  you  ever  see  it 
before?"  continued  Reginald. 

Roland  Gregory  took  the  ring  and  examined  it 
hastily.  He  handed  it  back,  saying  scornfully,  "No,  I 
know  nothing  about  that  ring." 

"Did  you  not  buy  that  ring  in  Chicago  about  a  year 
ago?"  asked  the  other. 

"Get  out  of  here,"  responded  Gregory,  losing  his 
patience.  "I  know  nothing  about  that  ring,  I  tell  you. 
Get  out." 

"I  will  get  out  of  here  when  I  am  through  with  this 
interview,"  said  Reginald,  firmly.  "Do  not  get  too 
hasty,  Mr.  Gregory." 


REGINALD'S  RETURN  3 1 1 

"I  have  a  letter  here,"  continued  the  editor  of  the 
Tribune,  taking  a  letter  from  his  pocket,  "which  was 
written  by  the  jewelry  firm  in  Chicago  which  sold 
this  ring,  and  they  say  that  you  were  the  purchaser." 

"Well,  what  of  that?  What  are  you  driving  at?" 
asked  Gregory,  growing  pale. 

"This  ring  was  taken  from  the  dead  hand  of  Mae 
Mobray  after  her  death  by  poison,"  declared  Reginald 
Nelson,  sternly.  "Do  you  deny  that  you  gave  this 
ring  to  the  girl?" 

Roland  Gregory  was  speechless.  His  eyes  turned, 
terror-stricken,  on  his  unwelcome  visitor,  and  his  right 
hand  trembled  as  it  lay  on  his  desk. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  he  asked  in  a  con- 
science-troubled tone  which  Reginald  noticed  at  once. 

"I  am  here  today  in  the  interests  of  Joy  Graham," 
began  Reginald. 

"Joy  Graham!  What  have  you  to  do  with  my 
pledged  wife?"  asked  Roland  Gregory,  vehemently. 

"I  want  you  to  release  Miss  Graham  from  her 
pledge  to  marry  you,"  responded  Reginald. 

Roland  Gregory  glared  at  the  other  with  glowing 
eyes  of  hatred.  "I  know  what  you  want,"  he  hissed. 
"You  want  to  marry  Joy  Graham  yourself.  I  have 
seen  through  your  scheme  ever  since  you  came  to  Bron- 
son.  Begone,  sir,  from  this  office,  or  I  will  throw  you 
out." 

Roland  Gregory  arose  and  tried  to  push  the  editor 
out  of  the  door.  The  virile  youth  resented  the  uncere- 
monious close  of  his  interview  with  the  manufacturer 
and  the  two  men  were  soon  struggling  back  and  forth 


312  THE  F I  SIGN  OF  JOY 

in  the  office.  Getting  a  firm  grip  of  his  adversary, 
Reginald  pushed  him  back  into  his  chair  in  no  gentle 
fashion,  exclaiming,  "Sit  down,  sir,  and  hear  me  out 
or  I  shall  telephone  at  once  for  the  officers." 

Breathing  hard  from  his  exertions,  with  clenched 
teeth  and  shining  eyes,  the  defeated  manufacturer  faced 
the  editor  again. 

"Do  not  get  excited,  Mr.  Gregory,"  said  Reginald, 
calmly.  "I  have  good  reasons  for  coming  here  and 
making  my  demand  that  you  free  Joy  Graham  from 
her  pledge  to  you.  You  know,  sir,  you  are  not  worthy 
to  wed  her  or  any  other  girl.  Your  hands  are  red  with 
blood." 

Gregory's  breathing  became  labored  as  he  listened 
to  these  words,  but  he  made  no  response. 

Reginald  Nelson  took  a  typewritten  paper  out  of 
his  pocket  and  placed  it  on  the  desk  before  the  other. 
Gregory  read  the  paper  quickly.  It  was  a  written  re- 
nunciation of  his  claim  on  Joy  Graham. 

"I  want  you  to  sign  that,  and  sign  it  at  once,"  said 
Reginald,  determinedly. 

"If  I  sign  this  paper,"  replied  the  other,  speaking 
with  difficulty,  "what  else  will  be  required?'" 

"No  one  but  Allan  Rutledge  and  myself  know  the 
damning  truth  which  is  revealed  by  this  ring  and  this 
letter.  If  you  sign  this  renunciation  of  all  claim  on  Joy 
Graham  and  leave  Bronson  forever  that  will  be  the 
end  of  it  as  far  as  we  are  concerned. 

Roland  Gregory  bent  his  head  on  his  hand.  In  a 
few  moments  he  reached  into  his  hip  pocket,  and 


REGINALD'S  RE  TURN  3 1 3 

before  Reginald  understood  his  purpose  he  had  drawn 
a  revolver  and  pointed  it  squarely  at  the  editor. 

"If  I  can't  have  Joy  Graham,  neither  can  you,"  he 
hissed  with  an  oath. 

Reginald  leaped  upon  the  desparate  man.  As  he  did 
so  Roland  Gregory  fired. 

The  editor  reeled  and  fell  unconscious  at  his  feet. 
Looking  wildly  at  the  fallen  man,  Gregory  turned  the 
gun  upon  himself. 

A  noise  was  heard  outside  and  in  a  moment  Allan 
Rutledge  rushed  into  the  office.  The  minister  had 
come  to  the  Tribune  office  to  invite  the  editor  to  lunch 
with  him,  and  was  told  that  he  had  left  for  the  office 
of  Roland  Gregory.  Fearing  the  result  of  the  inter- 
view, Allan  Rutledge  had  hurried  after  Reginald,  and 
arrived  outside  the  office  in  time  to  hear  the  two  pistol 
shots.  He  suspected  the  worse  and  rushed  in,  just  in 
time  to  see  the  young  manufacturer  stagger  and  fall 
prostrate  over  the  body  of  the  stricken  editor. 

Hastily  examining  the  two  bodies,  and  saying  to 
himself  in  horror,  "Dead,  both  dead,"  he  hastened  to 
the  telephone  and  called  up  Dr.  Gracely  and  the  police. 
In  a  few  moments  the  police  patrol  dashed  up  to  the 
factory  and  the  tragedy  was  disclosed.  Allan  Rutledge 
hastily  told  the  chief  in  regard  to  the  letter,  which  he 
found  lying  on  the  floor,  which  pointed  so  plainly  to 
Roland  Gregory  as  the  guilty  man  in  the  Mae  Mobray 
tragedy.  * 

"I  was  not  here  in  time  to  know  what  passed  be- 
tween the  two  men,"  declared  Allan  Rutledge,  "but  it 


314  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

is  evident  that  the  crazed  wretch  first  shot  Mr.  Nelson 
and  then  ended  his  own  life." 

While  they  were  talking  Dr.  Gracely  arrived,  and  at 
once  examined  them. 

They  are  both  still  alive,"  he  declared,  after  a  cur- 
sory examination,  and  then  he  added,  "Mr.  Gregory  is 
fatally  wounded.  I  think  Mr.  Nelson  is  only  stunned." 

"Thank  God,  thank  God,"  exclaimed  Allan  Rut- 
ledge,  with  tears  running  down  his  cheeks. 

Turning  their  attention  to  the  wounded  editor,  the 
doctor  washed  the  wound  on  his  head,  and  soon  looked 
up,  saying  quickly,  "It  is  all  right,  Dr.  Rutledge.  It  is 
only  a  scalp  wound.  The  bullet  glanced  off  the  bone  and 
in  a  few  moments  he  will  rally." 

When  the  doctor  turned  again  to  the  manufacturer, 
he  said,  sadly,  "Poor  Gregory,  he  has  finished  himself. 
His  earthly  course  is  run."  The  bullet  had  crashed 
through  his  brain. 

The  police  took  charge  of  the  body  of  the  dead 
manufacturer,  while  the  doctor  and  Allan  Rutledge 
worked  over  the  unconscious  Reginald. 

In  a  little  while  he  opened  his  eyes  and  stared  around 
him.  He  saw  the  dark  stream  of  blood  on  the  floor, 
and  then  looked  questioningly  at  his  two  friends  who 
were  bending  over  him. 

"Where  is  he?"  he  asked  in  a  hollow  voice. 

"He  killed  himself,"  responded  Allan  Rutledge, 
quietly.  "It  was  a  miracle  your  life  was  saved." 

"Am  I  seriously  hurt?"  he  asked. 

"Only  a  scratch,"  answered  the  doctor.  "It  was  a 
narrow  escape." 


REGINALD'S  RE  TURN  3 1 5 

In  half  an  hour  Dr.  Gracely  was  able  to  assist  Regi- 
nald into  his  motor  car  and,  accompanied  by  Allan 
Rutledge,  they  hurried  to  the  Cameron  home.  The 
sudden  appearance  of  the  doctor's  motor  car  and  the 
pale  face  of  Reginald  as  he  was  assisted  into  the  house 
gave  Mrs.  Cameron  a  bad  fright,  but  she  was  soon 
assured  that  the  editor's  wound  was  a  slight  one. 
When  Allan  Rutledge  had  told  her  briefly  the  cause 
of  the  hurt,  and  the  tragedy  in  the  Gregory  office  the 
woman  threw  up  her  hands  in  horror,  saying,  "I  always 
did  think  that  Roland  Gregory  would  come  to  a  bad 
end.  Poor  Joy.  Now  she  will  be  free." 

Allan  Rutledge,  after  he  saw  that  Reginald  was  rest- 
ing quietly  in  bed,  and  that  the  effects  of  his  wound 
would  be  trivial,  hurried  off  to  his  home.  After  relat- 
ing the  dark  deed  of  Roland  Gregory  to  his  wife  he 
sent  her  to  the  Graham  home  to  break  the  news  to  Joy. 

"Poor  girl,"  said  Mrs.  Rutledge,  sadly.  "It  will  be 
a  shock,  but  I  do  not  think  she  will  grieve  over  the 
wretched  fellow.  It  was  a  mercy  that  the  wedding 
was  postponed,  wasn't  it?" 

When  Joy  Graham  heard  of  the  encounter  in  the 
factory  office  and  of  the  wounding  of  Reginald  and 
death  of  Ronald,  she  was  prostrated.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Graham  sat  by  the  bedside  and  sought  to  soothe 
her,  but  it  was  not  until  Allan  Rutledge  had  arrived,  and 
told  her,  in  part,  the  reason  of  the  awful  affair  that 
she  was  at  all  quieted. 

"It  is  too  terrible,"  said  Joy.  "I  cannot  bear  to 
think  of  Roland  doing  such  a  thing,  but  I  am  glad  he 
did  not  do  it  on  my  account." 


316  THE  FISION  OF  JOY 

At  first  the  girl  had  believed  that  she  was  the  inno- 
cent cause  of  the  quarrel  between  the  two  men  and  the 
resultant  shooting,  but  Allan  gently  told  her  that  a 
dark  charge  had  been  brought  to  the  door  of  Roland 
Gregory  and  that  the  rash  youth  had  apparently  lost 
his  reason  when  he  discovered  his  guilt  was  known. 

As  the  full  import  of  the  tragedy  dawned  on  the 
mind  of  Mr.  Graham  he  lost  his  proud  self-righteous 
air.  The  repeated  shocks  which  he  had  been  receiving 
one  after  another  began  to  tell  upon  him;  his  removal 
from  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Central  Church;  his 
defeat  for  the  office  of  mayor;  the  failure  of  his  news- 
paper enterprise;  and  the  crowning  blow  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  character  of  Roland  Gregory  and  his 
tragic  death.  He  became  despondent  and  his  wife 
asked  Dr.  Rutledge  to  call  and  see  him.  Very  gently 
the  minister  pointed  out  to  the  disappointed  man  the 
meaning  of  the  sore  providences  which  had  turned  the 
joy  of  his  life  into  bitterness. 

"Adversity  is  a  time  to  consider,"  said  Allan  Rut- 
ledge.  "You  have  had  much  mercy  mixed  with  your 
judgments.  No  blow  has  fallen  on  your  family  as 
might  have  been  the  case." 

As  a  result  of  the  minister's  talk  the  repentant  lawyer 
expressed  a  desire  for  further  conferences,  and  in  a 
short  time  Allan  Rutledge  had  the  pleasure  of  receiv- 
ing Mr.  Graham  into  the  Central  Church  on  profes- 
sion of  his  faith  in  Christ. 

The  day  after  his  union  with  the  church  Mr.  Graham 
called  at  the  office  of  the  Tribune.  Reginald  Nelson 
was  at  his  desk  and  he  greeted  the  lawyer  with  pleas- 


REGINALD'S  RETURN  317 

ure.  It  was  the  first  time  that  Mr.  Graham  had  en- 
tered the  establishment  of  the  rival  newspaper. 

After  a  few  moments  of  silence  Mr.  Graham  began 
slowly,  "I  want  to  apologize  to  you,  Mr.  Nelson,  for 
my  conduct  towards  you.  I  have  no  excuse  to  offer. 
I  have  treated  you  shamefully." 

/'Not  at  all,  not  at  all,"  replied  the  other,  cheerfully. 
"You  know  you  gave  me  my  first  start  in  Bronson  when 
you  recommended  me  to  the  place  in  the  railroad 
office." 

"I  have  not  done  right,"  persisted  the  lawyer.  "I 
want  you  to  forgive  me." 

"I  forgive  you  certainly,"  responded  Reginald.  "Let 
us  shake  hands." 

The  two  men  shook  hands  earnestly. 

"I  received  from  the  law  firm  in  London  a  long 
account  of  your  family  history,  Mr.  Nelson,"  continued 
Mr.  Graham,  "and  I  am  proud  to  know  that  you  are 
worthy  of  the  highest  plaudits  which  your  Bronson 
friends  have  been  giving  you." 

"Thank  you,"  answered  Reginald,  simply. 

"My  daughter,  Joy,  has  been  sick,  very  sick,  ever 
since  she  heard  of  that  tragedy  at  the  Gregory  office, 
but  she  is  getting  better.  She  asked  me  to  bring  you 
home  for  dinner  to-night.  She  wants  to  see  you." 

"I  shall  certainly  accept  your  kind  invitation.  It  is 
good  news  to  know  of  Miss  Graham's  recovery." 

That  evening  after  the  dinner  party,  which  included 
not  only  Reginald,  but  also  Allan  Rutledge  and  his 
wife,  Reginald  and  Joy  were  left  alone  by  the  conniv- 
ance of  Mrs.  Rutledge. 


3 1 8  THE  FISION  OF  JO  Y 

It  was  the  first  time  they  had  met  since  his  return 
from  England.  The  girl  still  looked  pale,  but  there 
was  a  bright,  hopeful  look  in  her  eye  which  betokened 
returning  health. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  she  said,  softly,  "papa  has  been  tell- 
ing me  something  about  your  family  in  England.  I  am 
sorry  to  know  of  your  father's  sudden  death.  You 
won't  leave  Bronson,  will  you?" 

"Not  unless  you  go  with  me,"  said  Reginald,  looking 
into  her  eyes.  She  met  his  gaze  and  in  her  eyes  he  read 
his  happiness. 

"Joy,"  he  exclaimed,  "you  are  free  now.  Can  I 
express  my  love  for  you  which  began  long  ago  when 
we  first  met  on  the  Neptune?" 

"Reginald,"  she  whispered,  and  in  a  fond  embrace 
every  barrier  between  them  had  gone.  "I  loved  you 
all  the  time,  too,  but  I  did  not  dare  admit  it,  even  to 
myself." 

They  talked  over  their  future  plans.  Reginald  told 
of  his  own  beautiful  home  which  he  was  already  plan- 
ning to  build  in  the  outskirts  of  Bronson,  and  spoke  of 
his  ancestral  castle  in  England  which  he  expected  to 
visit  every  summer. 

"This  is  like  a  beautiful  dream,"  said  the  girl,  in  a 
happy  tone.  "I  seem  to  have  waked  up  out  of  a  hor- 
rible nightmare." 

"It  is  a  dream  that  will  last  for  life,"  said  Reginald, 
smilingly.  When  Vivian  Derwent  heard  of  the  sudden 
turn  of  affairs  she  pouted  a  good  deal,  but  finally  con- 
cluded to  receive  George  Caldwell  back  again.  The 
double  wedding  was  planned  for  the  following  spring, 


REGINALD'S  RETURN  319 

and  the  honeymoon  of  Reginald  and  Joy  was  spent  at 
Earlham  Castle  in  Essex,  England.  Edgar  Prince  and 
his  new  council  redeemed  their  pledges  to  the  people 
of  Bronson  and  to-day  the  city  is  a  model  of  civic  effi- 
ciency. The  very  name  of  Bud  McCrea,  once  all- 
powerful,  is  being  forgotten. 

"The  vision  of  Joy  in  regard  to  Bronson  has  come 
true,"  Allan  Rutledge  often  says  to  his  wife,  and  then 
he  adds,  "The  husband  of  Joy  helped  to  make  it  so." 

The  Courier  and  the  Tribune  have  combined  into  a 
new  paper  which  is  called  the  Courier-Tribune.  As  its 
honored  editor,  Reginald  Nelson,  wields  a  power  for 
good  which  is  felt  far  and  wide,  and  political  honors 
await  him  before  he  will  go  much  farther  along  life's 
journey. 

"I  lost  my  life,"  he  said  once  to  Joy,  "but  I  found 
it  again  in  you  and  in  realizing  your  vision  of  what 
Bronson  should  be." 

THE  END. 


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